[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 81 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1091-E1092]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      RECOGNITION OF AMSA ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BUD SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2000

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, I wish to take this opportunity to 
congratulate the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) 
on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary. AMSA is the only association 
exclusively representing the nation's municipal wastewater treatment 
agencies. As front-line environmental practitioners that serve the 
majority of the population, AMSA members protect our nation's valuable 
water resources by treating and reclaiming wastewater to meet the 
ambitious goals of the Clean Water Act. Congress should celebrate their 
role in the remarkable revitalization of America's waters during the 
past 30 years. While the population served by publicly-owned treatment 
works has risen 40 percent since 1970, water quality has improved 
dramatically, in large part due to the fine work of AMSA's membership. 
In addition to their primary responsibility for collecting and treating 
the Nation's domestic, commercial, and industrial wastewater, AMSA 
member agencies play a major part in their local communities, often 
leading watershed management efforts, promoting pollution prevention, 
water conservation and recycling, and providing resources for 
environmental restoration.
  AMSA was established in 1970 by representatives of 22 municipal 
wastewater treatment agencies. Since then, AMSA's 30 years of 
participation, growth and cooperation has helped ensure a strong 
federal, state and local partnership to attain the important goals of 
the Clean Water Act: to protect the chemical, biological and physical 
health of our nation's streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts.
  Today, AMSA's 245 members serve the majority of the population 
connected to municipal wastewater systems and reclaim 18 billion 
gallons of wastewater each day. AMSA is a nationally recognized leader 
in environmental policy and works closely with Congress and the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, lending unparalleled technical 
expertise and information on pollution prevention, air quality, 
wastewater treatment, ecosystem health, and utility management.
  In recent years, AMSA has been actively involved in a broadening 
array of environmental laws and regulations, including water 
infrastructure funding, nonpoint source pollution,

[[Page E1092]]

and urban wet weather flows, providing valuable testimony to Congress, 
as it considers legislation to improve the nation's waters. As Chairman 
of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I am in a good 
position to observe that AMSA is meeting the goals of its founders by 
pursuing every opportunity to develop and implement scientifically 
based, technically sound, and cost-effective environmental programs.
  AMSA's active membership, prominence as a nationally recognized 
leader in environmental policy and close working relationship with the 
EPA and Congress will undoubtedly allow it to help shape the course of 
environmental protection in the next century. Once again, I 
congratulate AMSA on this important milestone as an organization and 
also for America's environment.

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