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November 5, 1999
AMSA/WEF White Paper to Facilitate POTW Pretreatment Comments
AMSA is preparing to distribute copies of a pretreatment white paper, which was jointly developed by the leadership of AMSA's Pretreatment & Hazardous Waste Committee and the Water Environment Federation's (WEF) Pretreatment Committee. AMSA and WEF provide specific recommendations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on ways to further reduce the regulatory burden in its proposed changes to the national pretreatment program (see RA 99-15). The pretreatment white paper will be forwarded to the membership via RA 99-22 and is intended to facilitate comments on EPA's pretreatment streamlining proposal from a broad cross-section of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) with pretreatment programs. A copy of the white paper is also available on AMSA's web site, www.amsa-cleanwater.org. The white paper focuses on the following six issues: significant noncompliance, the specific prohibition regarding pH, POTW oversightSmith Named Senate Environment & Public Works Chair
This week, the Senate Republican leadership selected Sen. Robert Smith (R-N.H.) to succeed the Honorable John Chafee (R.I.) as Chair of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee. Senator Smith, who had earlier this year departed the Republican party to pursue an Independent presidential campaign, had returned to the majority party just prior to his appointment. As a sponsor of legislation seeking to aid combined sewer overflow communities, Smith is familiar with municipal water quality issues. It should also be noted that due to Senator Chafee's sudden passing, the Committee's Clean Water hearings, including one on EPA's total maximum daily load (TMDL) program, are postponed for an indefinite period.EPA Promulgates Phase II Stormwater Rule
EPA is pressing forward with the promulgation of the Stormwater Phase II regulations, which were signed late last week and apply to municipalities with populations under 100,000 and construction sites between one and five acres. EPA's 2000 budget contained a rider preventing the Agency from promulgating the Stormwater Phase II rule until it reported to Congress on the costs of the regulations to municipalities and developers and explained the rule's basis on population rather than water quality impacts. The Agency states that it has met this requirement in its “Report to Congress on the Phase II Storm Water Regulations.” RA 99-23 will be distributed to the membership next week and will contain a copy of the rule and the report. The rule and the report are also available on EPA's web site at www.epa.gov/owm/sw/phase2.cfmEPA and FEMA Thank AMSA Flood Relief Volunteers . . .
With flood relief efforts in eastern North Carolina past the emergency stage and well into recovery, EPA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are thanking the AMSA member agencies that volunteered services and personnel. Volunteer agencies that have not yet been contacted by EPA and FEMA will soon receive notification that their services will not be needed. EPA staff report that the response was exceptional and that all wastewater and drinking water facilities in the flood zone are at least partially functional.Please Note . . .
Due to unforeseen circumstances arising from last week's move, the National Office will be without e-mail longer than had been initially expected. E-mail service will be restored as soon as possible. We regret the inconvenience.