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November 10, 2000

NBP Plans for Active 2001
This week, AMSA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), and National Biosolids Partnership (NBP) staff drafted a comprehensive communications action plan for the NBP to maximize support for and interest in its mission. The plan maps out communications initiatives that will promote the NBP’s objectives throughout 2001 as it moves from the development phase to the national implementation phase of its Environmental Management System. Current plans call for publications, conferences, and other ongoing activities to communicate the goals, benefits and accomplishments of the NBP to Capitol Hill, the POTW community, the press and key stakeholders such as the academic and agricultural communities. AMSA will be an active participant and partner in these efforts.

Figuring prominently in the outreach activities throughout 2001, the Association will feature the NBP’s National Program Launch, Creating an Effective Environmental Management System, as part of Managing Utility Infrastructure, AMSA’s 2001 winter conference, January 31-February 2 in San Diego, Calif. Taking place on Feb. 2, the NBP launch will pave the way for broader adoption by POTWs of the NBP’s EMS. Presentations will outline the EMS "blueprint" and a roundtable comprised of POTW officials heading EMS demonstration projects at their agencies will discuss their experiences in implementing the EMS.

Complete details and registration information AMSA’s 2001 winter conference will soon be available on AMSA’s web site, www.amsa-cleanwater.org.

EPA Releases Metal Products & Machinery Proposal
AMSA’s Pretreatment and Hazardous Waste Committee is beginning review of EPA’s proposed Metal Products & Machinery (MP&M) effluent guidelines, which were signed last week by EPA Administrator Carol Browner. The committee was provided with a pre-publication review copy of the proposal this week. In the proposal, EPA estimates that there are a total of 89,000 facilities captured by the proposal, and the preamble notes that a proposed "low flow cutoff" for indirect dischargers has changed significantly since a 1995 proposal because MP&M facilities have been subcategorized. This means that the proposed cutoff for the "general metals" subcategory is proposed to be 1 million gallons per year. But there is no cutoff for the Printed Wiring Board subcategory, which is covered under pre-existing regulations. Several other issues may emerge upon complete review of the proposal. AMSA’s Pretreatment & Hazardous Waste Committee will hear a detailed presentation on the proposal during the AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop next week in Tucson, Ariz.

Region V AMSA Members Encouraged to Attend TMDL Meeting
The National Office is encouraging AMSA members to participate in an upcoming EPA total maximum daily loads (TMDL) meeting. EPA’s second series of stakeholder meetings on developing a Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) guidance for TMDLs will be held December 4-5, 2000 in Chicago at the EPA Region V Office at 77 West Jackson Boulevard on the 12th floor.

The purpose of these public stakeholder meetings is to present the progress made in developing CALM and to hear comments and suggestions regarding the issues and options addressed to date. A draft outline of the CALM guidance will be posted November 20, 2000 on EPA’s web site, www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/calm.cfml, for review prior to the meeting. For further information contact Greg Schaner at 202/296-9836 or gschaner@amsa-cleanwater.org.