Senator Smith
Introduces Wastewater Infrastructure
Bill
Senator Robert Smith (R-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced the Water
Investment Act of 2002 (S. 2813) on July 29. While AMSA’s initial
review of S.2813 reveals that this bill would reverse some of the
unnecessary regulatory burdens on municipalities contained in
S.1961 – Sen. James Jeffords’ (I-VT) water quality bill – S.2813
does not sufficiently target additional funding for core
infrastructure repair and replacement.
While S.1961 would require municipalities to undergo state
and/or EPA review of asset management plans, rate structure plans
and restructuring options to receive clean water state revolving
fund (CWSRF) dollars in excess of $500,000, S.2813 opts for
requiring municipalities to certify that they have performed the
above requirements to receive the funding. The degree and nature
of the state oversight as contained in S.2813, however, remains an
issue of concern for municipalities. Additionally, while S.2813
provides the same funding levels for the CWSRF and drinking water
SRF as S.1961 ($20 billion and $15 billion respectively over five
years), it does not provide the more than $1 billion in sewer
overflow grants over six years contained in S.1961.
AMSA will continue to monitor the progression of the Senate’s
clean water bills – as well as the more amenable House water
infrastructure bill, H.R. 3930 – and will determine its course of
action regarding infrastructure legislation as events regarding
this legislation continue to unfold on Capitol
Hill.
