Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - November 15, 2002
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November 15, 2002
EPA Approves Ten Effluent Toxicity Test Methods
AMSA Considers Legal Action, Urges Fair Implementation
On November 8, EPA approved 10 of the 12 proposed whole effluent toxicity (WET) test methods for measuring the toxicity of effluents and the waters into which those effluents are discharged. In theory, this final rulemaking was supposed to ensure the reliability of WET test methods, but at a November 7 joint session of AMSA’s Law Seminar and WET Workshop in Denver, Colo., it became clear that EPA’s efforts to validate the methods have done little to improve WET test reliability, leaving completely open the pivotal question of how the Agency will implement and enforce WET limits. These concerns have resulted in the distinct possibility that AMSA and other stakeholders impacted by the rule will bring a legal action to protect POTWs. It also remains possible that the POTW community’s concerns with WET limit implementation and enforcement can be addressed through discussions with the Agency. One option is for EPA to employ a “tiered process” so that if a POTW has a WET test failure, a violation is not automatic and additional tests can be done to ensure the result’s reliability. AMSA will continue to meet with EPA to discuss WET implementation issues. Comprehensive conference notebooks from AMSA’s provocative Law Seminar and WET Workshop, which contain speaker presentations and supporting materials, are available at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/. A more in-depth discussion of WET issues, and the many issues raised in the Law Seminar, including wet weather, anthrax decontamination, and defending the land application of biosolids, will be made available via November’s Clean Water News.
Key Capitol Hill Staff Come to AMSA HQ to Talk Infrastructure
Several U.S. House of Representatives staff joined the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) at AMSA headquarters to discuss the direction of water and wastewater infrastructure funding legislation. The staff members who joined WIN were Nick Curran, Congresswoman Sue Kelly’s (R—NY) Legislative Director; Susan Bodine, Senior Majority Counsel for the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee; and Ken Kopocis, Senior Minority Counsel for the T&I’s Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee. All staff members emphasized their continued commitment to move forward with wastewater infrastructure legislation next year. Curran said that Rep. Kelly will introduce a clean water funding bill with a significant grant component as her first bill in 2003 to keep the issue moving forward in the T&I Committee. Bodine expressed her continued interest in advancing legislation similar to the T&I Committee’s wastewater funding bill that passed through the committee in March and demonstrated a willingness to discuss some pro-POTW amendments to the bill. Bodine also informed WIN members that with the Senate switching to GOP control, she looks forward to having a fruitful discussion about both wastewater security and infrastructure funding legislation with the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee leadership soon. All three congressional staffers expressed cautious interest in the concept of a long-term, dedicated funding source for water and wastewater infrastructure and AMSA will continue to discuss this issue with them.
- AMSA is now accepting nominations for its 2003 National Environmental Achievement Awards (NEAA) program. The NEAA program offers the perfect opportunity to recognize local, state and federal elected/appointed officials for their contributions to the clean water community C and honor your agency and/or individual staff members for notable projects and accomplishments. See Member Update 02-18 or click on the NEAA icon on AMSA’s homepage for more application information.