Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
McCollum, Lyons, Williams Receive AMSA
Awards
Nation's Cities Weekly 5/26/2003
by Carol Kocheisen
Posted: May 26, 2003
Richmond, Va., Mayor Rudy McCollum, NLC First Vice President Charlie Lyons,
chair of the Board of Selectman in Arlington, Mass., and NLC Second Vice
President Mayor Anthony A. Williams of Washington, D.C., all received awards
from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies? (AMSA) for ?displaying
extraordinary insight of the challenges facing wastewater treatment agencies?
last week.
McCollum was also the keynote speaker at the luncheon ceremony at which the
awards were given. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, McCollum told the wastewater
professionals that he was ?humbled to receive an award from so many who have
done so much for so long.? He criticized the dwindling federal commitment to
water infrastructure while describing the significant financial investment
Richmond has made in addressing its combined sewer overflow problems, including
the double digit rate increases faced by his city?s residents.
Concluding his remarks, McCollum expressed his firm belief in the Water
Infrastructure Network, a coalition of more than 40 diverse groups committed to
revitalizing and enhancing the federal financial role in addressing the nation?s
water infrastructure needs. McCollum served as NLC?s Energy, Environment and
Natural Resources (EENR) Committee chair in 2000.
In accepting his award, Lyons also noted his concerns with increasing federal
standards and responsibilities, accompanied by fewer and fewer federal
resources. His goal, as well as that of his elected colleagues, he said, was to
?transfer a city better than we got to our children.? Lyons has also served on
NLC?s EENR Steering Committee.
Williams was honored at the Water Infrastructure Network?s annual fund raising
banquet for his many water quality initiatives in and around the nation?s
capitol and in conjunction with the surrounding states to enhance the Chesapeake
Bay.