AMSA Board Briefs - November 4, 2003
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November 4, 2003
Dates Proposed for 2004 Fall Leadership Meetings
Thanks go out to all AMSA Board Members for their flexibility and understanding as we faced the challenges presented by Hurricane Isabel at the time of our 2003 fall leadership meetings. In light of the circumstances, the Watergate Hotel was very accommodating, and we have indicated our plans to return there for our 2004 meetings.As we look ahead to next year, we request your approval of Sunday – Tuesday, September 19-21, as the dates for our 2004 Fall Leadership Strategy Session & Board of Directors Meeting. Should the Board approve these dates, the Executive Committee would meet on the afternoon of Sunday, September 19. Board committee meetings would take place on Monday morning, September 20, and the Leadership Strategy Session itself would run from noon on Monday until late morning on Tuesday, September 21. We would conclude our time together with the Board of Directors Meeting over the lunch hour on Tuesday, September 21. Consideration was given to national and religious holidays, as well as the dates for WEFTEC, when selecting the proposed dates. Please indicate your disposition toward these dates by completing the fax back confirmation form included with these Board Briefs.
Strategic Planning Initiative Gets Underway with Member Needs Assessment
AMSA’s 8-month Strategic Planning Initiative will soon get underway with an Assessment of Member Needs & Satisfaction. Finishing touches are being made to the survey instrument, which will be available for completion by Member Agencies, Public Affiliates and Private Affiliates both electronically and in hard copy. The data received through the quantitative web-based/hard copy survey will be enhanced via 25-30 qualitative telephone interviews with AMSA members. The survey effort will get underway this week.All Member Needs Assessment research will be completed by mid-January so that it can be provided to the Association’s leadership in advance of the early February Strategic Planning Session. Board Members, Committee Chairs and other AMSA leaders should anticipate receiving a formal invitation to participate in both the February 2-3 (immediately preceding the 2004 Winter Conference) and the May 21 (immediately preceding the 2004 National Environmental Policy Forum) Strategic Planning Sessions. The letter of invitation will include a form through which you may confirm your plans to attend. Please note that it is important that you respond regarding your attendance upon receipt of the invitation. Should you be unable to participate in the two face-to-face strategic planning sessions, we hope to be able to capture your perspectives through the qualitative telephone interview process. We hope you join us in looking forward to this important initiative.
EPA Releases Blending Guidance on November 3
Yesterday EPA released its much anticipated guidance on blending, reaffirming the Agency’s long-standing policy that blending is an acceptable method of addressing peak excess flows at publicly owned treatment works. This policy will provide importance guidance to EPA regions to clarify the Agency’s position that blending is an acceptable practice.It appears the guidance was ‘leaked’ prior to release, resulting in inaccurate and inflammatory press accounts. AMSA has been actively responding with press outreach and member agency contact to ensure a more balanced view of the guidance is presented. Association leadership and members will soon receive a Special Edition FaxAlert with additional details.
AMSA to Respond to Letter from John Hall on Blending
AMSA and several municipal groups are parties in Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Ass’n (PMAA) v. Horinko, which seeks, among other issues, to ensure that Regions III, IV, and VI cease taking any further anti-blending actions until EPA issues a final blending policy. PMAA’s attorney, John Hall, sent AMSA an October 20 letter setting forth his concerns regarding the Association’s September 24, 2003 letter to Tracy Mehan regarding the pending Office of Water policy statement on blending. AMSA has been working closely with Tracy Mehan, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Water, on the blending issue and has made sure to advocate on behalf of its members both via the lawsuit and by providing a voice for publicly owned treatment works throughout the Agency’s development of its blending guidance. Hall’s letter, which was sent to members of the Wet Weather Coalition — some of whom are AMSA members — makes many misleading statements about the Association’s position on blending and misreads the Association’s correspondence to EPA on this issue. To make sure the Association’s position on blending is accurately characterized, AMSA intends to provide a response to Hall’s letter soon.AMSA Provides Support in Key California Supreme Court TMDL Case
AMSA sent an October 21 amicus curiae letter to the California Supreme Court in support of Los Angeles and Burbank’s request for review in the City of Los Angeles and City of Burbank v. State Water Resources Control Board case. This case could set important precedent for California and other states as it seeks to clarify five key permitting issues, including whether a California Water Quality Control Board can issue wastewater discharge permits without considering compliance costs and relative environmental benefit; and whether environmental impacts and regulatory alternatives may be considered in issuance of wastewater permits where such considerations were ignored under mandatory water quality planning processes. As AMSA’s letter points out, “Resolution of the questions raised [by Los Angeles and Burbank] is not only of immediate importance to our member agencies in California, but the decision in this case may set important case law precedent for wastewater treatment agencies nationwide.” The California Supreme Court must now decide whether to accept review of this important case.Legislative Policy Committee Meets Via Conference Call
The AMSA Legislative Policy Committee held a teleconference call on October 22 to brainstorm possible new issues for examination by AMSA next year. Topics identified by members included support for a national mercury strategy, the reauthorization of and appropriation of funds for the Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000, full funding for research and development on emerging issues, and tax credits for co-generation. AMSA staff will explore the potential and advisability for action on these issues as it readies for the 2nd Session of the 108th Congress, which convenes in late January 2004. The next meeting of the Legislative Policy Committee will be held in February 2004 in Santa Monica, California in conjunction with AMSA’s 2004 Winter Conference.Fall Conferences Garner Member Interest
AMSA’s 2003 Developments in Clean Water Law Seminar is being held this week, November 5-7, at the Sonesta Key Biscayne Hotel in Miami, Fla. Attendance for this year’s seminar is expected to be 20 percent higher than the 2002 seminar — an excellent indicator of the timeliness of the conference program.The AMSA/EPA Pretreatment Coordinators Workshop will be held November 19-21 at the Renaissance Madison Hotel in Seattle, Wash. Early indications are that attendance at the 2003 conference will reach last year’s level (well over 200 attendees). This conference is a “must attend” event for agency staff with pretreatment responsibilities. To register visit AMSA’s website, www.amsa-cleanwater.org/meetings/.
AMSA Excellence in Management Program to Recognize Member Agency Efforts
AMSA’s Excellence in Management Program is a new recognition program designed to acknowledge the significant management efforts of member agencies. All member utilities were encouraged to apply if they could demonstrate implementation of successful programs (over a continuous three-year period) that address the range of management challenges faced by public wastewater utilities in today’s competitive environment.Recently the Excellence in Management Workgroup, comprised of Awards Committee members, completed their review of the program applications. In all, 38 member agencies were selected to receive Excellence in Management recognition. Honorees will be recognized at AMSA’s 2004 Winter Conference, February 3-6, at the Loews Santa Monica in Los Angeles, Calif., in the conference program and during an evening reception.