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Friday, July 25, 1997
AMSA Technical Action Fund to Support Several Projects
AMSA's Regulatory Policy Committee recommended several funding requests related to the Technical Action Fund for Board approval during the Summer Conference in Seattle last week. AMSA entered into a cooperative agreement with EPA in June 1997 to conduct a $150,000 two-year demonstration project to evaluate the use of alternative compliance mechanisms as a means of controlling wastewater discharges in streamlining local pretreatment limits. The Silver Council is furnishing an additional $50,000 to conduct this project which involves steering committee representation from EPA and other stakeholders. The project will begin in July 1997 and be completed by July 1999. To ensure the success of the project, the Silver Council has notified AMSA that it will make available unconditionally to the Association an additional $100,000 for any costs that exceed the budget for this project. These funds would be transferred to the Technical Action Fund under a separate account to cover any supplemental expenses.
The Air Quality Committee also received approval of up to $10,000 to support development of a model risk management plan (RMP) for wastewater facilities to comply with the June 1999 compliance deadline to implement the Clean Air Act's Section 112(r)(7) requirements. EPA's Office of Chemical Emergency Preparedness & Prevention and the National Office have been discussing funding assistance that the Agency will make available under an existing work assignment with its contractor to allow AMSA to head up a steering committee in developing the RMP for the industry by Summer 1998.
AMSA will sponsor a CSO Permit Negotiation Workshop on September 25-26, 1997, in Cincinnati, Ohio. To help defray the cost of the workshop, the Wet Weather Issues Committee received $5,000 to pay for the cost of compiling 150 workshop notebooks which will be given to attendees and distributed to other AMSA members with CSOs who could not attend the workshop. Funds may also be utilized to help develop and distribute a summary workshop report which will be provided to attendees and other interested parties.
The Water Quality Committee, in its efforts to work cooperatively with other organizations on common issues, requested and received $25,000 to support efforts by the Western Coalition of Arid States (WESTCAS) on variety of initiatives and water quality projects. Results of these initiatives and projects are expected to further increase knowledge on a broad range of technical and policy issues that are mutually beneficial to members of both organizations.
AMSA will be expanding its library of resources on competitiveness this year with the publication of Thinking, Getting & Staying Competitive: A Public Sector Handbook. The Handbook is scheduled for release during the Association's 1998 Winter Conference to be held in San Antonio, TX from February 3-6. AMSA's Technical Action Fund is providing $20,000 towards the cost of this project. An additional $20,000 will be by contributed the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), which will work with AMSA as a full partner on the project. We expect to fully reimburse the Technical Action Fund in 1998 with proceeds from the sale of the publication as well as from several workshops, based on the publication, planned for next spring, summer and fall. The publication and workshops are being produced with the guidance of AMSA's Competitiveness Workgroup.
AMSA's Web Site is up and running at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org!! Members will receive login codes to access the Member Pipeline section of the site next week via Member Update 97-15. Please take a look at the public section of AMSA's newest communications tool and let us know what you think by signing the guest book!