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<br />Western States Water Council <br />Water Quality Committee <br /> <br />San Antonio, Texas <br />October 20, 2005 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />by the IG every 4 years. On one hand, EP A sent UT a letter that they can do 30-year loans, but IG <br />says no. The Committee expressed an interest to hear from Ben regarding EP A's funding priorities <br />and regarding the 30-year loan issue. <br /> <br />[The Committee temporarily adjourned to allow the water-energy nexus discussion. When the <br />Committee reconvened, the Chair suggested taking up issue #7 to ensure adequate time for its <br />discussion.] <br /> <br />IMPROVING WATER QUALITY COMMITTEE MEETINGS <br /> <br />Although there were only four states that responded to the survey, Paul said he thought the <br />responses seemed to indicate that the states think ASIWPCA is the better forum for water quality <br />issues, although there are important western issues that are not taken up by ASIWPCA. <br /> <br />Craig Bell said water resources members are interested in the cross-over issues. He asked <br />what level of interest the WQ Committee members have in the other WSWC Committees. The <br />Council is the best-suited organization to deal with cross-over issues (i.e. water quality-quantity <br />issues). Clearly, it is important to get water in the stream in order to meet WQ standards. <br /> <br />Joan Card said there is general interest, but often water quality is not directly involved on <br />water resource issues. Water quality administrators are very focused on their authorities. In AZ, <br />quality has no authority to look at water quantity. Joan said she does like the Council, because it is <br />so important that the Western States speak with one voice when possible. At the same time, she <br />agrees with Walt's suggestion about fewer meetings. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Norm Semanko said the Idaho Governor likes this group because it is an arm of the WGA. <br />He has seen good participation in the past, and suggested the poor recent attendance may be cyclical. <br /> <br />Stephen Bernath agreed with Norm, saying that when western states have a message to send <br />EP A, it is much easier to get a strong policy statement from WSWC than ASIWPCA. He thinks the <br />Council is important for that reason. He is looking at the meeting structure -- do we need to do all <br />committee meetings on one day? Thursday is always a grueling day, and we always run over the WQ <br />agenda. Do we need better meeting management, or better scheduling, e.g. meeting on Wednesday? <br />The problem for Water Quality members is that you have to cut out four days of the week from the <br />office for a half day's worth of meeting. <br /> <br />Jack Stults noted the interaction on the TMDLs rules was super. It was a real integration. <br />Maybe we have not had an issue lately that needed that kind of cooperation. We should focus on a <br />true nexus issue. <br /> <br />Karl Dreher suggested that the nexus between quantity and quality is different in the West . <br />than in the East because of Western water law. The reason Eastern water quality laws don't work <br /> <br />8 <br />