Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - December 21, 2001
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December 21, 2001
AMSA to Preview Vulnerability Assessment Tool,
Sandy Berger to Keynote Winter Conference in Orlando
AMSA is leading the way in addressing two prominent issues at the top of the nation's water quality agenda - security and asset management - by organizing a blockbuster Winter Conference, Managing and Protecting Wastewater Infrastructure Assets, February 5-8, 2002, at the Caribe Royal Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Former National Security Adviser Samuel "Sandy" Berger will give the Keynote Address, providing the unique perspective of a high-level official intimately involved with the effort to secure the nation's critical infrastructure, including water infrastructure. AMSA will also preview its vulnerability assessment software tool at the Winter Conference, which will help wastewater officials determine their utilities' vulnerabilities and secure their key assets. Recognizing that security is part of the broader asset management picture, AMSA will release its new publication, Managing Public Infrastructure Assets to Minimize Costs & Maximize Performance at the Winter Conference. Register online at www.amsa-cleanwater.org or see Member Update 01-17 for more information on this pivotal conference.
In a Victory for the Wastewater Community,
EPA Will Not Regulate Dioxins in Incinerated/Landfilled Biosolids
In a major victory for AMSA and member agencies, EPA published in today's Federal Register a final notice that numeric limitations or management practices are not needed for dioxins in biosolids that are incinerated or landfilled. EPA's notice today satisfies its obligations under a 1989 consent decree to which the Agency, AMSA, and environmental groups were parties. In the notice, which refers to AMSA's comments several times, EPA states that "because the predicted cancer risk for dioxin is so low, we believe that existing regulations . . . are adequate to protect public health from both cancer and non-cancer effects." EPA is required to publish final regulations for dioxins in land-applied biosolids by March 1, 2002 under the same consent decree, and AMSA, EPA and environmental groups are engaged in active discussions regarding the extension of the deadline in order to take recent information into account prior to promulgation. AMSA also recently obtained EPA's draft revised risk-assessment for dioxin in land-applied biosolids and the Association will issue a Regulatory Alert on this soon.
AMSA Talks Trading with Key New EPA Water Official
AMSA met yesterday with David Batchelor, EPA's Senior Policy Advisor to Assistant Administrator for Water Tracy Mehan, about the Agency's plan to develop a water quality trading policy that could help limit nonpoint source pollution. Batchelor expressed EPA's interest in AMSA's input on making its trading program amenable to publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). AMSA raised its concern that under some trading programs, POTWs are still held in violation of their discharge permits if nonpoint source trading partners fail to achieve promised reductions. Addressing this key concern, Batchelor said that EPA is considering ways to hold nonpoint sources directly accountable for their trading commitments, adding that credit trading contracts could require nonpoint sources to indemnify POTWs for penalties tied to nonpoint source noncompliance. The initial draft of the policy is due out in late January for stakeholder comment, and is expected to complement EPA's revisions to the Total Maximum Daily Load rule. AMSA will remain very involved in the stakeholder process to ensure that POTW concerns are fully incorporated.
AMSA wishes all of you a happy and healthy holiday season. The next FaxAlert will be distributed Jan. 4.