Legislative Affairs

   

Sean D. Osborne, P.E., Legislative Committee 
 Project Manager
Haley and Ward, Inc.
Civil and Environmental Engineers
25 Fox Road
Waltham, MA 02451
(781) 890-3980 (office)
(781) 890-1491 (fax)
   

Table of Contents:
   

Get Ready for Day on the Hill
   

Call to Action – Senate Bill 2019
   

Comments Needed by May 8 on
Draft SOP on Permit Volumes and the RGPCD and
UAW Performance Standards in 20-Year Permit
Renewals
   

Status of Pending Water Legislation
   
Get Ready for Day on the Hill
 
“Day on the Hill” during Drinking Water Week, May 6, 2009:
Massachusetts Water Works Association, in conjunction with Barnstable County Water Utilities Association, Plymouth County Water Works Association and Western Massachusetts Water Works Association, invites you to meet with your legislators during Drinking Water Week to discuss issues of importance to the water supply community.
 
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Location: State House, Boston, Massachusetts
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
 

What does a Day on the Hill look like from a national perspective?
More than 130 AWWA members from 48 states converged on Washington, D.C., March 24-25, 2009 for the association's eighth annual Water Matters! Fly-In.  The key issues this year were water infrastructure investment, chemical facility security, climate change and appropriations.    AWWA's Water Utility Council sponsors the event. The 2010 Fly-In will also be March 24-25.
 
http://www.awwa.org/Government/Content.cfm?ItemNumber=1059&navItemNumber=3829
 
What do you need to do to prepare for Beacon Hill?
1.  Fill out the registration form email to Jennifer Pederson at mwwa@verizon.net 
 
2.  Make an appointment with your legislator for Wednesday afternoon.
  a) Visit http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm to get contact information for your state senator and legislator.
3.   Attend  a free Issues Briefing Session to discuss the key issues and learn how to get the most from your
      meetings with your representatives.
  a) Indicate which briefing you will be attending:
    1) Monday, May 4th: 2:30 – 3:30 PM (Via Conference Call--number will be provided) 
   

OR
    2) Wednesday, May 6th: 10:30 AM –Noon at theGardner Auditorium, State House
    (Lunch will be provided in the House Members’ Lounge after the briefing)
4. Read the AWWA Issue Sheets about the financial impact of federal regulations and the importance of
    source protection and sound environmental practice to the water industry.   Also review the 2007
    Massachusetts Drinking water report.
 
5. The MWWA Legislative Committee is developing issue papers that will be-mailed to all who register for
    the Day on Beacon Hill.  Those papers will address
  a) Water Infrastructure Needs
  b) Water Regulation Processes and
  c) Stream Flow Standards

 
6.  Invite other elected officials from your town to attend.

 

 Please register by May 1st.  Any questions, please contact Jennifer Pederson at 978-263-1388 or me at 781-890-3980.
 

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 Call to Action – Senate Bill 2019
 
IIn order for the SRF program to begin disbursing stimulus funds, a change needs to be made to the statute to allow the Massachusetts Pollution Abatement Trust to give something other than a 2% loan. Governor Patrick filed legislation to address a number of issues regarding the stimulus, Senate Bill 2019, An Act Mobilizing Economic Recovery in Massachusetts, includes two sections related to the SRF program. This bill was heard by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, but has not yet been reported out of the committee. The MWWA Legislative Committee has posted a sample letter on its website, www.masswaterworks.org urging the Joint Committee to report the bill out favorably so that it can make its way through the legislative process. We urge you to send letters to the chairs of the committee and the administration so that the Trust can begin funding projects with the stimulus money. Further delays could jeopardize the ability of the Commonwealth to get all of the stimulus monies spent.
 

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Comments Needed by May 8 on Draft SOP on Permit Volumes and the RGPCD and UAW Performance Standards in 20-Year Permit Renewals
 

Water Management permits are issued on a 20-year cycle with all permits in a single river basin expiring simultaneously.  The first 20-year permit cycle is beginning to end in basins across the state and the Department is preparing to renew Water Management permits for the next 20-year cycle.
 
The December 2007 Permit Strategy outlines how the Department will incorporate new water conservation performance standards into public water supply (PWS) permits.  This memo develops a detailed process that the Department will use in writing permits that incorporates updated water needs forecasts and the current water conservation standards in PWS permits for the next 20-year permit cycle.
 
(Full Text - Click Here)
 

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