Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - March 31, 2006
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for the FaxAlert ArchiveMarch 31, 2006
NACWA Seeks Member
Support in Garnering Cosponsors for Funding Legislation
NACWA and other national organizations will be using their Washington, D.C., Spring 2006 meetings and legislative fly-ins to generate congressional support for the Clean Water Trust Act of 2005 (H.R. 4560). NACWA urges public agency members to urge their Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 4560, which was introduced in December 2005 by Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. To assist members in contacting their Representatives, NACWA has developed a sample letter and fact sheet that outlines the major programs and funding levels in the legislation along with a list of supporting organizations. The sample letter can be accessed via NACWA’s Write Congress Now feature on the right hand side of the Association’s homepage (http://www.nacwa.org). NACWA urges members to include the fact sheet, which can be downloaded from Legislative Alert 06-4 (http://www.nacwa.org/private/legreg/legalrts/la06-4.cfm), along with their correspondence to their Representatives.The Association also encourages members to set up meetings with their congressional delegations in both their Capitol Hill and District offices to emphasize the importance of H.R. 4560 to the future integrity of the nation’s wastewater infrastructure. The joint NACWA/WEF 2006 National Clean Water Policy Forum provides members with a timely opportunity to visit their Representatives and request support and co-sponsorship of H.R. 4560. The Association and other supporting organizations will work together for the remainder of the 109th Congress to advocate on behalf of a clean water trust fund and to recruit additional support for H.R. 4560.
NACWA Cites Need for Accuracy,
Precision in New Detection and Quantitation Approaches
NACWA representatives participated in the fourth meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee on Detection and Quantitation Approaches and Uses in Clean Water Act (CWA) Programs this week. Chartered by EPA to resolve ongoing debate over the adequacy of the Agency’s existing method detection level (MDL)/minimum level (ML) approach for determining detection and quantitation levels, the Committee is preparing to conduct a pilot study to evaluate the performance of several alternative procedures to determine which ones meet the identified needs of all stakeholders. NACWA's representatives stressed the importance of having measurement quality objectives, such as accuracy and precision, defined before proceeding with the pilot test. Though much progress has been made, nearly a year has passed since the Committee was initially convened and many of the critical issues remain to be resolved as the Committee struggles with the difficult task of overlaying an existing system of analyzing samples for CWA purposes and implementing a new approach to developing detection and quantitation levels. NACWA's representatives will continue to ensure that any new procedures recommended by the Committee improve the certainty with which the Association's members can rely on analytical data for permitting and compliance purposes.Hotel Deadline
for NACWA/WEF 2006 Clean Water Policy Forum Nears
NACWA urges members to make their hotel reservations today for the joint NACWA/WEF 2006 National Clean Water Policy Forum as the April 7 deadline is rapidly approaching. To make your accommodations, call the Capital Hilton at 202/393-1000 to guarantee the special conference rate of $219 single/double. As the Policy Forum draws near, several key speakers have been confirmed, including Representative John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, who will provide remarks on the Subcommittee’s clean water priorities at the May 2 Capitol Hill Reception. NACWA encourages members to invite their Representatives and staff to attend the Reception as it will provide an excellent opportunity for them to interact with members of the clean water community. NACWA members can download Capitol Hill Reception invitations on the Association’s website (http://www.nacwa.org/getfile.cfm?fn=2006-05hrinv.pdf). For agenda and online registration information, visit NACWA’s Conferences & Meetings webpage (http://www.nacwa.org/meetings/06may/).