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To: Members
From: National Office
Date: September 15, 1998
Subject: 1998-1999 Position Statments
Reference: MU 98-17

Enclosed please find a copy of AMSA’s 1998-1999 Position Statements. You will notice that this year’s Statements reflect a new approach in both design and content. Unlike the more general all-encompassing Statements of previous years, each of the 1998-1999 Statements address a specific issue of importance to AMSA’s membership. Some of the sound recommendations included in these Position Statements include:

  • controlling nonpoint sources through enforceable mechanisms;
  • strengthening EPA’s water quality standards regulations;
  • providing a mix of grants and low interest loans to enable municipalities to target high priority water pollution projects;
  • encouraging participation in watershed approaches; and
  • ensuring that the best data and science are used during the regulatory development process.

Also new to our positions process is the ability to add new statements during the year at the request of AMSA’s committee leadership, and with the approval of the Positions Workgroup. The new design will give us the flexibility to distribute updated positions or add new positions within a given year by easily unfastening and refastening the binding.

While these Position Statements serve as the collective expression of the experience and wisdom of AMSA members, and were approved by voice vote during the annual meeting, special thanks are due to the leadership of AMSA’s 1997-1998 Regulatory Policy and Legislative Policy committees who served as the Association’s Positions Workgroup and effectively shepherded this annual undertaking from beginning to end; they are: Robert P. Miele, Head, Technical Services Department, County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, CA; Paul Pinault, Narragansett Bay Water Quality Management District Commission, RI; William L. Pugh, Public Works Director, City of Tacoma, WA; and Donnie R. Wheeler, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, VA. Thanks are also due to the leadership of AMSA’s special committees and member agencies across the country who provided thoughtful insight and recommendations as these statements were developed.

We hope you use the Statements to communicate AMSA’s positions and priorities to the legislative and regulatory officials with whom you work. AMSA will use these Statements introduce the Association to the members of the new 106th Congress. The Statements will also be distributed to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials and other water quality stakeholders in the environmental community. The Position Statements can also be accessed online on AMSA’s web site, Clean Water on the Web, at http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org, under About AMSA.

ATTACHMENT: 1998-1998 Position Statements