Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
House Approves Legislation to Authorize
$220 Million for Wastewater Security Needs
Legislation authorizing $220 million over five years to help wastewater
treatment plants conduct vulnerability assessments and make security upgrades
was approved by the House May 7 in a 413-2 vote.
The Wastewater Treatment Works Security Act of 2003 (H.R. 866) was passed under
suspension of the rules, which means debate is limited and no amendments are
allowed.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.),
ranking member of the committee, would authorize $200 million for the
Environmental Protection Agency to issue grants for the vulnerability
assessments and upgrades.
Another $15 million would pay for technical assistance to small wastewater
treatment plants, which are those that serve up to 20,000 people. Nonprofit
groups would be eligible for $1 million in grant money per year over five years
to "help the improvement of vulnerability self-assessment methodologies and
tools for publicly owned treatment works, including publicly owned treatment
works that are part of a combined public wastewater treatment and water supply
system," according to the bill language.
Utilities receiving grants must pay at least 25 percent of the costs for
improvements, and no utility would receive more than $150,000.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee, has said he is interested in introducing a wastewater security bill
but has not done so yet.
A spokesman for Inhofe told BNA he hopes to do so soon.
Ken Kirk, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage
Agencies, applauded the passage of the bill because he said it would provide
utilities much-needed funding.
"Simply stated, the goals set forth in H.R. 866--to provide funding assistance
for the completion of vulnerability assessments and to implement security
enhancements at publicly owned treatment works--will help ensure the security of
the nation's critical infrastructure," Kirk said in a statement.