Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
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Copyright 2002 by Primedia Business Magazines & Media Inc. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 1, 2002
Volume 105; Number 9; ISSN Number 00105368
Precast Perspectives: News
AMSA supports EPA sanitary sewer overflow initiative
The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) has
alerted Environmental Protection Agency and other federal officials
of the need for a single comprehensive rule from the agency on
sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). Large wet weather events such as
massive rainstorms, AMSA notes, lead to overflows of sewer systems
that were not built to handle the capacity generated by these
storms. According to group, EPA estimates the cost to
municipalities would be $45 billion to overhaul combined sewer
overflows (CSOs), with an additional $32 billion for SSOs.
Most cities and towns cannot afford these costs, especially when
aging infrastructure needs and security measures are added, AMSA
contends. Accordingly, Executive Director Ken Kirk says the group
supports the idea of an SSO plan proposed by EPA Assistant
Administrator Tracy Mehan. Although AMSA believes that several of
the key provisions in the draft regulation, created in January
2001, are flawed, it has "a genuine interest in developing a
workable rule with consistent, national standards for controlling
overflows."
Lack of SSO control is caused by the absence of a single federal
rule that spells out all applicable requirements and compliance
standards, according to AMSA. Expanding the preamble to invite
comment on alternative SSO standards should benefit EPA by giving
staff additional information from which to develop the final rule,
AMSA add. Earlier this year, an AMSA representative reviewed with
the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water
Resources and the Environment the $20 billion Water Quality
Financing Act of 2002, which would meet needs associated with CSOs
and SSOs.