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Money Matters™ Campaign
Provides Viable Approach as CWA
Regulations, Enforcement Expand
There is a growing recognition that the Clean Water Act
(CWA) can no longer move forward without regard to the
economic realities being faced by the nation’s municipalities.
It seems that every regulatory issue is deemed a priority while
cost is too often ignored. The current political and economic
landscape has provided a unique opportunity to make the
case that such an approach is no longer viable, sustainable or
acceptable.
With this in mind, NACWA launched its
Money Matters . . .
Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water™
campaign. This
past year the Association has released several key
Money Mat-
ters™
reports including
The Solution is Within our Reach. . .the
Message is Clear
, a two-page leave-behind outlining the goals
and objectives of the campaign – as well as a White Paper and
accompanying glossy tri-fold,
Two Sides of the Same Coin . . .
Increased Investment & Regulatory Prioritization
. This document
took an economist’s approach, overlaying federal investment
trends with some disturbing data on the apparent reversal
of the water quality gains achieved by clean water agencies
in the decades following the 1972 enactment of the CWA.
The White Paper also explored the economic benefits of a
new approach to regulatory prioritization while seeking some
solutions to the underlying challenge of aging clean water
infrastructure.
Building on the momentum created by these reports, NACWA
convened a March 1-2, 2011
Money Matters™ Summit
in Wash-
ington, DC – with participants taking the campaign’s message
to Capitol Hill and laying the groundwork for regulatory
prioritization legislation. NACWA took the positive feedback
generated by the Summit and embarked, via its
Money Mat-
ters™ Task Force
, on an effort to craft legislation. This effort
included a facilitated session with key groups, including the
Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Association of
State & Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
(ASIWPCA), and the American Public Works Association
(APWA) – and was a focus of discussions at NACWA’s
Na-
tional Clean Water Policy Forum
in May.
As the legislative drafting effort progressed, NACWA took key
concepts from the legislation up to Capitol Hill for meetings
in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, developing
significant support for its anticipated introduction upon its
finalization. At press time, the legislation awaits introduc-
tion. In its final form the bill ensures that municipal flexibility
is maximized and that affordability and financial capability
concerns are addressed based on complex and often shifting
community conditions. Perhaps more importantly it provides
a process that allows municipalities to seek compliance
schedule alterations under a menu of key changed economic,
demographic, and other circumstances and is poised for
introduction.
The
Money Matters
™ mantra is present in a diverse array of
Association priorities. NACWA has secured support for its
Money Matters
™ approach in the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency’s (EPA) agency-wide regulatory review, required
this year via Presidential Executive Order. Key issues, including
nutrients, stormwater, and sewage sludge incineration have
provided critical opportunities for the Association to demon-
strate the need for a new approach – one that lets municipali-
ties act as the drivers for prioritizing compliance with existing
and new Clean Water Act regulations.
NACWA Ramps up Advocacy on
Federal Clean Water Funding
As this year moved forward, and Congress began to undertake
efforts to rein in the deficit and cut federal spending, NACWA
ramped up its advocacy efforts to support continued federal
investments in clean water infrastructure. Much of the As-
sociation’s effort was focused on safeguarding clean water
funding by fighting proposed cuts to the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
In January, the 112th Congress convened and immediately
tackled the unfinished business from the previous Congress
to fund the federal government for the remainder of the
2011 Fiscal Year (FY). With many new members elected to
Congress, NACWA focused much of its early advocacy on
ensuring their understanding of the Clean Water Act, the
services NACWA members provide to their constituents,
and the importance of continued federal investment in clean
water infrastructure. In support of this effort, NACWA held a
Congressional Briefing in February and conducted individual
Affordability, Regulatory
Prioritization & Infrastructure Funding
TM
Smarter Investment to Advance Clean Water