Click here to see previous Board Briefs
June 27, 1997
AMSA/EPA Planning Meeting to Discuss Section 129 Rulemaking for Incinerators. . .
AMSA's National Office has requested a policy level meeting with senior EPA officials in response to concerns raised over the Agency's January 14, 1997 Federal Register proposal to establish new source performance standards and emission guidelines for new and existing solid waste incineration units, including units that incinerate municipal sewage sludge under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act. In a June 3 letter to Deputy Administrator Fred Hansen, AMSA requested a meeting between EPA's Office of Air & Radiation, Office of Water and Office of General Counsel with AMSA's Incineration Workgroup leadership, National Office, and AMSA counsel to discuss technical, legal, and policy issues. The Office of Air has contacted the National Office to coordinate a mutually convenient date, which is now scheduled for July 9.
Regulatory Policy Committee to Review Air Quality/Wet Weather Issues Committees Technical Action Fund Requests. . .
The Regulatory Policy Committee has been apprised that both the Air Quality and Wet Weather Issues Committees will submit requests for Technical Action Fund support during the Summer Conference. The Air Quality Committee will request $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.
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 is requesting up to $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. The regulatory Policy Committee will make recommendations regarding these proposals to the Board in July.
Summer Conference Program Finalized, Speakers Confirmed
The National Office has received confirmation for most of the speakers scheduled to participate during AMSA's 1997 Summer Conference, Point & Nonpoint Source...Balancing Responsibility for Pollution Prevention. Member Update MU 97-12 was forwarded on June 24 to all AMSA members providing final program information, which included speaker changes, as well as an additional opportunity to take advantage of the Special Events offered in conjunction with the meeting. Attendance looks good and we are looking forward to another successful AMSA conference.
The 1997 Leadership Retreat will immediately follow the adjournment of the Summer Conference on Friday, July 18 and continue until 11:00 am on Saturday, July 19. With a number of important issues scheduled for leadership attention, we have arranged for a facilitator to assist in the process.
Planning & Bylaws Committee Meets in San Francisco. . .
The Association's Planning & Bylaws Committee, chaired by AMSA Vice President Michele Plá, met in San Francisco, CA on June 6-7, 1997 to develop a set of issues for discussion by AMSA's leaders during the July 18 Leadership Retreat. Committee members focused their discussions on the following consensus positions:
We want AMSA to grow.
We want to maintain and improve upon our core competencies of legislative & regulatory lobbying.
We want to increase our clout (so that we can be more effective in our core competencies).
As a result, a detailed list of issues for consideration was developed. A complete report of the Committee meeting will be included in your Board packets for the July meeting.
AMSA Gains Two New Members in June
The National Office received membership applications from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department and the Gloucester County Utilities Authority last month. Both agencies qualify for Member status in the Association. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department, represented by Doug Bean, Director, serves a population of 600,000 in the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area. The Gloucester County Utilities Authority, represented by Executive Director, Robert Dixon, serves a population of 194,000 in southern New Jersey. The addition of Gloucester has given Region II a third seat on the Board.
That National Office also received notice from the Eastern Municipal Water District in San Jacinto, CA, that the District was dropping its membership in AMSA.
Board Approves New Project
AMSA's Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved the Association's development of a new publication, Thinking, Getting & Staying Competitive: A Public Sector Handbook. The Handbook will address strategies that public water and wastewater utilities can implement to improve the efficiency -- while maintaining the effectiveness -- of their operations. Members of AMSA's Competitiveness Workgroup met in Washington, DC on June 24 to kick-off the project, which will be completed by AMSA's 1998 Winter Conference in San Antonio, TX. The Handbook is also sponsored by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA).
http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org to be Launched Mid-July. . .
The National Office is in the final stages of preparing the Association's web site for launch at the Summer Conference in mid-July. Located at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org, the site will provide AMSA member agencies with a new way to access AMSA's outreach and communication tools, track new legislative and regulatory developments and stay informed of upcoming conferences and events. Each AMSA member agency will have a unique login code and password to access the "Member Pipeline". Additionally, each member agency will be given 10 user codes (in addition to their login code and password) for distribution among key employees. Members will be able to change their passwords by contacting the National Office. It is hoped that this kind of direct access to the site will allow organization staff to maximize their use of Association information and their participation in national legislative and regulatory policy development.
Also by mid-July, the National Office staff will be accessible by e-mail. The staff e-mail addresses are as follows:
Ken Kirk kkirk@amsa-cleanwater.org Paula Dannenfeldt pdannenfeldt@amsa-cleanwater.org Sam Hadeed shadeed@amsa-cleanwater.org Jackie Hamilton jhamilton@amsa-cleanwater.org Mark Hoeke mhoeke@amsa-cleanwater.org Christy Kettell ckettell@amsa-cleanwater.org Debbie Blockinger dblockinger@amsa-cleanwater.org Jeni Hornback ggehrmann@amsa-cleanwater.org Sharon Powell spowell@amsa-cleanwater.org Desiree Ross dross@amsa-cleanwater.org
Leadership Technology Use and Familiarity Assessment Planned. . .
At the request of AMSA's Planning & Bylaws Committee, the National Office will soon conduct a Technology Use and Familiarity Assessment among the Association's Board of Directors and committee leaders. Aimed at evaluating needs in this area, the survey will be used by the Committee as they consider a proposal to provide the opportunity for AMSA's leadership to receive customized training on the use of AMSA's web site, and other computer-based technologies as part of the September 1997 Leadership Meeting.
AMSA/WEF Officers Meeting Scheduled for July. . .
During the Summer Conference in Seattle, the officers of AMSA and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) will meet in one of a continuing series of discussions aimed at information sharing and coordinating activities among the two organizations. As has been the practice in the past, AMSA's Regulatory Policy Committee leadership will also attend the Wednesday, July 16 session.
AMSA to Accept Credit Cards. . .
In the coming months, the National Office will begin to accept credit card payment for all association services, including conference registration and publication sales. This move will facilitate both the use of planned interactive portions of the web site and the Association's ability to respond rapidly to member requests for publications.
Associations Win Protection for Volunteers. . .
President Clinton signed volunteer protection legislation into law on June 18. The Liability Reform for Volunteer Services Act takes effect in 90 days. The law removes volunteers from liability if the volunteer committed negligent acts or omissions while acting within the scope of his/her responsibilities. This law offers important protection for volunteers and associations, like AMSA, that rely heavily on member volunteers.
Watershed Management Workgroup Discusses Role. . .
AMSA 's newly formed watershed workgroup, established under the Regulatory Policy Committee, held its first two conference calls this month to discuss issues of concern and to assign coordination responsibilities to relevant Committees or workgroups. Chaired by Margie Nellor of the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, the workgroup is composed of AMSA's Wet Weather and Water Quality Committee leadership, Jim Murray (Great Lakes representative), and Cheryl Creson (AMSA's TMDL FACA representative). The workgroup will also invite leadership of other AMSA committees to participate (e.g. Financing and Management, Biosolids) when appropriate. A report on workgroup activities will be provided during AMSA's Regulatory Policy Committee meetings.
n Board Materials to be Mailed for Seattle Meeting...
The Board of Directors meeting in Seattle is scheduled for Saturday, July 19 from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. The Board materials and new Organizational Manuals are scheduled to be sent by Federal Express on Thursday, July 3. You should plan to receive your materials on Monday, July 7.
WasteWater Index Update...
Arrangements for the development of the WasteWater Index are proceeding on course. Engineered Design Information, Inc. (EDI²) has now signed a license agreement with Questlink, an Austin-based computer technology firm, and has forwarded to AMSA for review a draft Exclusive Marketing Agreement and Business Plan. AMSA's Counsel, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, is currently reviewing these documents and we anticipate signing the agreement soon. When we sign the agreement, we will forward to EDI² our first installment of seed money--$25,000. According to the Business Plan, the remaining $2,000,000 needed to complete the project would be raised in August.