Volume 146, No. 81 covering the 2nd Session of the 106th Congress (1999 - 2000) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNITION OF AMSA ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1091-E1092 on June 23, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNITION OF AMSA ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY
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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, 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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