Waste News,
March 7, 2005
Lawmakers attempt to block EPA from
adopting sewage rule
By Bruce Geiselman
Four Congressmen introduced a bill March 3 that would block federal
regulators from adopting guidelines specifically allowing wastewater
plant operators to blend and discharge partially treated sewage
with fully treated sewage during periods of unusually heavy rain
or snowmelt.
Reps. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.; Mark Steven Kirk, R-Ill.; Frank Pallone
Jr., D-N.J.; and E. Clay Shaw Jr., R-Fla., introduced the legislation
one week after 135 bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter
to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson
asking the agency to abandon the proposal.
Stupak expressed concern about future outbreaks of waterborne
illnesses if the blending rule goes into effect. "Billions
of gallons of human waste are dumped into our Great Lakes and
other water resources each year," Stupak said. "This
sort of outbreak can happen again if we don´t act now to
prevent the EPA from rolling back our clean water standards."
Kirk said a rule legitimizing the dumping of partially treated
sewage into the Great Lakes would result in more beach closings.
While the congressmen and environmentalists contend that the
rule change would endanger the environment and public health,
proponents, including the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage
Agencies, say the opposite is true.
Blending effluent, which already takes place, meets Clean Water
Act permit requirements and protects the public health, according
to the association. The new guidance would clarify the federal
government´s policy, according to the sewerage association.
Blending effluent prevents a sewer system from "washout,"
a condition in which the sewer system is overwhelmed by volume
and untreated sewage is released, according to the association.
Blending protects the nation´s waterways, according to the
association.
While environmentalists and the sewerage association disagree
on the sewage blending proposal, they agree that the federal government
should increase funding to help communities upgrade their wastewater
treatment plants in order to handle greater volumes during periods
of heavy rain or snowmelt.
Copyright© 2005
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