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August 27, 1997
AMSA National Office Welcomes New Staff. . .
We're pleased to report that all three vacancies on staff have now been filled. We feel we have an excellent group of new employees, who will contribute significantly to our goals and objectives as a staff. They are Claudine Bodin, Manager, Communications & Public Affairs, Linda Lohneis, Executive Assistant and Tracy Powers, Secretary/ Receptionist. Claudine Bodin comes to AMSA from Reebok International Ltd., in Stoughton, Massachusetts where she served as the Associate Manager, Public Affairs. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College and an M.S. in Public Relations from Boston University, College of Communications. In Massachusetts she was a member of the Neponset River Watershed Association, and has been involved in the Potomac River Watershed Association since relocating here last year. Linda Lohneis worked previously for the Airports Council International-North America, here in Washington. Over the past four years she served their organization as a Benefits Administrator, Human Resources Manager, Manager-Marketing & Communications, and most recently as Executive Assistant to the President. She has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington. Tracy Powers joins AMSA, having recently moved to the area from Chicago, Illinois. She holds a recent B.A. in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in Organization and Urban Structure and a second major in Psychology. The National Office will be fully staffed on September 3. Please join us in welcoming our newest members of the National Office staff.
Upcoming Meetings to Focus on Key AMSA Issues/Initiatives. . .
The staff at the National Office is busy planning for a number of upcoming meetings and conferences, addressing a wide array of issues and initiatives of importance to our members. The coming months will offer the following opportunities for AMSA's leaders and members:
September 17,1997 - AMSA Legislative Working Group on Watershed Management
10:00 am - 4:00 pm, O'Hare Hyatt, Chicago, Illinois
September 25-26, 1997 - AMSA CSO Permit Negotiation Workshop
Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio
September 29-30, 1997 - AMSA Fall Board & Leadership Meetings
The Madison Hotel, Washington, DC
October 21, 1997 - AMSA Legal Affairs Committee Meeting
10:00 am - 3:00 pm, Chicago Hilton & Towers, Chicago, Illinois
November 5-7, 1997 - AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop
Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Norfolk, Virginia
February 3-6, 1998 - AMSA Winter Conference, Thinking, Getting & Staying Competitive
Hilton Palacio Del Rio, San Antonio, Texas
AMSA Rep Odeal to Attend Rebuild America Leadership Summit
AMSA Board Member and Association representative on the Rebuild America Coalition will attend the Coalition's first Leadership Summit, in Houston, Texas on September 25-26. The meeting is designed to bring Coalition leaders together to meet each other face-to-face and endorse their agenda, make recommendations about focus and direction and have "a useful discussion about the country's infrastructure," according to their announcement. A report on the Leadership Summit will be provided at the September Board of Directors meeting.
AMSA/WEF/EPA to Meet on Plans for National Biosolids Partnership
Representatives of AMSA, WEF, and EPA will meet on August 28 to review proposed plans to develop a national biosolids management partnership. EPA has concluded that the Agency needs to reinvest additional resources into the biosolids program because of ongoing difficulties in gaining public acceptance, particularly with the recent negative media reporting series by CNN in June. The Agency has invited AMSA and WEF to join with EPA in forming a partnership to achieve the goal of promoting greater public acceptance of biosolids management options and to help focus on priority activities and mechanisms for implementation of projects. EPA has identified the following priority areas that it would like to pursue and fund over the next fiscal year: preparation of a code of good management practices for biosolids with third-party verification; conducting a biosolids quality survey to compare data from 1988-89 with post-Part 503 quality; formation of SWAT teams comprised of biosolids experts to assist in the investigation and preparation of quick responses of significant alleged problems; renewed EPA oversight by the Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance to develop enforcement priorities and provide compliance assistance; and work as partners in a biosolids group to provide technical assistance and research into emerging national issues such as radioactivity, dioxin, pathogens, and animal manures. The results of the August 28 meeting will be presented for consideration at the September Board of Directors meeting.
AMSA/EPA To Meet On Section 129 Technical Issues Relating to Sewage Sludge Incinerators
AMSA's Incineration Workgroup leadership and National Office will meet with technical program officials from EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards in Research Triangle Park, NC on September 16 to discuss technical issues related to the Agency's proposal to regulate sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs) under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act to establish new source performance standards and emission guidelines for new and existing solid waste incineration units including units that incinerate municipal sewage sludge. The planned meeting builds on the July 9 meeting with AMSA and EPA's Offices of Air and Radiation, Water, and General Counsel to discuss policy and legal issues raised in AMSA March 17 letter to the Agency which strongly opposed the Agency's proposal which would potentially result in the elimination of this practice. The control of any potential dioxin releases into the environment appears to be a major factor in EPA's desire to regulate SSIs under Section 129. EPA is planning to collect biosolids data from a few member agencies over the next few months to determine whether the existing Part 503 SSI regulatory requirements are adequate before any final determination is made to pursue additional regulation under Section 129 or other regulatory options.
E4E Releases Draft Final Report for Comment
The Enterprise for the Environment (E4E), a broad based coalition form in 1996 to discuss and develop consensus on improving environmental regulation in the United States, has released their draft "do not cite or distribute" final report for comment. AMSA has been asked to review the document and provide the Association's endorsement of each of its recommendations, if appropriate. After synthesizing comments from this review, E4E expects to have a final document available for endorsement by stakeholders in mid-September. The draft final report is currently under review by National Office staff.
In its final version, it is expected that the report will include 12 recommendations for improving environmental regulation. Themes throughout the recommendations include the use of: goals and milestones; understandable indicators to measure progress; flexibility; collaborative problem solving; and, consistent and fair enforcement of laws and regulations, among others.
Bill Ruckelshaus, Chairman of Browning-Ferris Industries, Inc., convened E4E in 1996 and shared some early results of the process during AMSA's 1997 Summer Conference in Seattle last month. AMSA is represented on the E4E committee by Doug McDonald, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
Competitiveness Handbook on Schedule
Significant progress has been made in the development of AMSA's newest publication, Thinking, Getting and Staying Competitive: A Public Sector Handbook, a joint project with the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. Project consultants Ken Rubin and Alan Manning are nearing completion of the highlighted case studies and are currently developing the text for the accompanying chapters. A first draft of the publication is scheduled to be forwarded to the Association's Competitiveness Workgroup on October 10, followed by a meeting in Washington, DC later in the month to hear members comments and provide an opportunity for direct communication with our consultants. The Workgroup will have an additional opportunity to review and comment on the Handbook in late November. Thinking, Getting & Staying Competitive: A Public Sector Handbook, is scheduled for release during AMSA's 1998 Winter Conference, February 3-6, in San Antonio, TX.
AMSA and AMWA National Office staff met earlier this month to discuss the project and the accompanying workshops. The following workshop schedule was agreed upon: April 1998, Boston and Philadelphia; June 1998, San Francisco and Los Angeles; September 1998, Chicago and Kansas City, MO; and, November 1998, Atlanta and Houston . Workshops would run for a day and a half on Tuesday/Wednesday and Thursday/Friday.
Exact dates and hotel arrangements are currently under discussion. Ken Rubin and Alan Manning will provide AMSA and AMWA will a draft agenda for the workshops in late November.
AMSA Enters Marketing Agreement for Waste Water Index
AMSA entered into an exclusive marketing agreement with Engineered Design Information, Inc., on August 13 for the Waste Water Index, an on-line resource for water and wastewater operators and contractors to locate equipment, parts and supplies for the
maintenance of water and wastewater systems. AMSA's participation in the project was approved by the Board of Directors during the May 1997 meeting.
Under the terms of the agreement, AMSA will provide marketing and sales support to EDI by licensing the use the Association's "marks" (name, logo, acronym or other identification) for use by EDI in connection with the Index and provide a link from AMSA's website, Clean Water on the Web, to the Waste Water Index. AMSA retains the right to withdraw EDI's permission to use the Association's marks or link to the website following a determination by the Executive Director or Board of Directors that the use of the marks is detrimental to AMSA or its members. EDI will hold the Association harmless for any damage, penalties, lawsuits or the like that may arise from the use of the Index website.
AMSA has agreed to pay a total of $75,000 to EDI and has delivered $25,000 in accordance with the terms of the contract. In return, the Association will receive a royalty of 4% of the gross revenue received by EDI from Sellers for advertising on the Index and linking or publishing on the Index. Royalty payments will be made quarterly. AMSA will have the right to terminate the agreement in the event that, by April 1, 1998, EDI is unable to raise $500,000 of capital, or within 12 months thereafter, to achieve or exceed the first year revenues projected in the business plan. Other factors that could lead AMSA to terminate the agreement include: a finding that the use of AMSA's marks or other identification is detrimental to the Association or its members; EDI fails or refuses to modify use of the marks as requested by AMSA; EDI's insolvency, bankruptcy or cessation of operations.