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October 29, 2004 AMSA Fax Alert

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - October 29, 2004

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October 29, 2004

2004 Pretreatment Workshop
Provides Key Forum for EPA, State, Local Officials

The 2004 National Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop was held this week in Norfolk, Va., offering pretreatment professionals, EPA headquarters and regional representatives, and state regulators numerous opportunities to exchange ideas and share their experiences on issues facing the National Pretreatment Program. A particular success was the Regional Roundtable Luncheon, which offered publicly owned treatment work professionals valuable face-to-face time with their regional regulators. Participants also shared knowledge via panels on the newly released local limits guidance, best management practices, emerging pollutants, pretreatment security challenges and airport discharge issues. Jim Hanlon, Director of EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, highlighted the fact that of all the programs under the Clean Water Act, pretreatment is one of the most effective and provides the greatest amount of environmental benefit. The Workshop concluded with an informative discussion on technical training opportunities for pretreatment professionals available through EPA and a discussion of the state of the effluent guidelines program. Workshop presentations will be available on AMSA's website (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/materials.cfm) in the near future.

Experts Meet to Discuss TMDL Adaptive Implementation
Representatives from the wastewater, industry, environmental and academic communities met in Durham, N.C. this week, for the first of three working sessions designed to further develop the concept of adaptive total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation. AMSA is co-sponsoring the series of meetings through its Targeted Action Fund in an effort to provide additional guidance to its members, as well as EPA and states, on how and when an iterative and adaptive approach to TMDL implementation is appropriate. Headed by Ken Reckhow, Chair, Environmental Sciences and Policy at Duke University, who led the National Research Council’s review of the TMDL program, the working group met for two days to establish the framework for what will become a white paper on adaptive management in the TMDL program. Given the uncertainty often associated with TMDL implementation, especially where nonpoint sources are a large component of the pollutant load, AMSA believes the concept of a continuous feedback loop of data and information has excellent potential for improving water quality. The workgroup will hold at least two more workshops over the next six months to develop a final white paper, with a possible fourth meeting yet to be planned to brief EPA officials and other stakeholders on the adaptive implementation concept. AMSA members will be kept apprised of any further developments.

AMSA Supports EPA Stance on Biosolids Management Options
EPA has received various requests recently from several state residual coordinators urging the Agency to develop a policy position favoring land application over alternative biosolids management methods, including land filling and incineration. The Agency’s Office of Water’s Acting Administrator, Benjamin Grumbles, responded recently to these requests emphasizing the Agency’s long-held position that land application, incineration, land filling and surface disposal are all viable, effective biosolids management practices and that choosing between these options is a local decision. AMSA re-emphasized its long-held position in a letter this week to EPA, offering its full support to the Agency’s position of neutrality on biosolids management options, all of which have been deemed protective of the environment and public health pursuant to 40 CFR Part 503. Copies of the letters can be found on AMSA’s Regulatory Correspondence & Outreach website (http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/private/reg_outreach.cfm).