Search

Member Pipeline - Fax Alerts - September 29, 2006

Click Here
for the FaxAlert Archive

September 29, 2006

NACWA, Florida Utility Members Join Forces to Oppose Draft State Biosolids Rule
NACWA sent a letter today to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) urging changes to its draft biosolids rule. NACWA member agencies in Florida believe the draft rule’s provisions would create such an undue administrative burden that it would constitute a de facto ban on the land application of biosolids for the entire State. As NACWA’s letter (http://www.nacwa.org/private/reg_outreach.cfm) points out, “[w]hile state rules that account for local conditions are a vital part of biosolids management nationwide, and generally complement the federal Part 503 regulations, NACWA maintains that such regulations must be supported by valid science and must not preclude any of the management options available to municipalities.” The Association also quotes a Sept. 15 letter (http://www.nacwa.org/private/reg_outreach.cfm) that U.S. EPA wrote to NACWA discussing the Agency’s views of the current battle over land application taking place in Kern County, Calif. In this letter, U.S. EPA reiterated its continued support for land application as a scientifically sound biosolids management practice — a statement that supports NACWA and its member agencies’ position on the land application issue in Florida. In the coming weeks, NACWA plans to participate in a meeting between FDEP officials and several of its Florida members to provide the national perspective on this critical issue.

NACWA Supports Exclusion of POTWs from OTC Emission Controls
 NACWA sent a letter (http://www.nacwa.org/getfile.cfm?fn=2006-09-28cmts.pdf) to the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) Sept. 28 supporting its decision not to impose additional controls on publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. One recommended control measure considered by the OTC would have required POTWs in northeastern states to cover all primary treatment processes and route emissions through carbon adsorption units. NACWA stated that this requirement would be impractical and excessively expensive for POTWs, in addition to having little effect on regional VOC emissions. OTC continues to list POTWs as a VOC source “under further review” and may reconsider POTW emissions in the future. NACWA will continue to follow OTC’s activities to ensure that POTWs are not subject to onerous emission control requirements.

CLE Credits Secured for NACWA’s 2006 Clean Water Law Seminar
Online registration continues for NACWA’s 2006 Developments in Clean Water Law: A Seminar for Public Agency Attorneys & Managers, to be presented Nov. 15-17 in cooperation with the American Bar Association and the New England Water Environment Association at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, Mass. Panels will address legal issues in the clean water field, including traditional and non-traditional defensive tools; innovation in relationships between in-house and outside counsel; collaboration between regional facilities and satellite systems to make environmental progress; management of electronic information; citizen suit trends; negotiations among states, federal agencies, and activist groups; and making water quality models work for public agencies. Professor Jody Freeman, director of the Harvard Law School’s Environmental Law Program, will deliver the keynote address on the role local governments can play in fostering environmental and clean water progress. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits have been approved for the Seminar by California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, with more state CLE approvals expected in the coming weeks. To view the current status of CLE approvals or to learn more about the Seminar, please visit http://www.nacwa.org/meetings/06law. The hotel registration deadline is Oct. 24, so register soon!

  • The weekly Fax Alert is changing its name. Beginning Oct. 6, NACWA members will learn of important happenings affecting clean water agencies through the new weekly Clean Water Current.