By Diane S. Shea
associate legislative director
Congress ended its session this year without the passage of a flow control/interstate waste bill. In the final week of the congressional session, NACo had attempted to convince the Senate to attach an amendment to the omnibus spending bill that combined the remaining FY97 appropriations bills. However, continued opposition from House Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-Va.) on a flow control bill, along with a disagreement on the interstate waste bill between importing and exporting states, doomed the effort.
Leadership of the House and Senate refused to risk adding such controversial issues to the funding bill, fearing that extended debate would prolong the negotiations on the bill and delay agreement on the wrap-up package.
NACo and other local government organizations will be meeting in the next two months to analyze the situation, review the successful court decisions upholding flow control, and determine what NACo strategy should be for the next congressional session. Much will depend, of course, on the outcome of the November elections and the leadership of the new Congress.
More importantly, any chance of success in the next Congress will depend on whether a champion can be found for flow control. Not having a high-level champion continues to undermine flow control efforts. Counties that need flow control relief should be recruiting their congressperson to step into that key role next year.
In addition, counties should be carefully documenting any negative impacts on county solid waste operations and facilities due to Congress' failure to act on flow control legislation.
Such information should be provided to the county's congressional representatives
and senators, along with NACo. We will be compiling the information and
distributing it to new members of Congress in January.