From the Outgoing President...

I asked myself: "What kind of keynote statement do I put in the opening paragraph to peak your interest?" Many subjects come to mind - but suffice it to say that 1996 was a full year". I don't feel that we (the MOWRA leadership) did a very good job this past year in communicating to you our efforts and accomplishments on your behalf, but I do feel that much was accomplished. I reperted on our efforts at the annual meeting in Battle Creek. But since many of you were not able to make the meeting, I will briefly mention some of the happenings, and other articles will provide more information on some of our efforts.

First, let me pause to congratulate our newly elected slate of officers. Collectively, they bring to our organization a great deal of experience and knowledge in the onsite wastewater field. And their backgrounds will provide our organization with leadership from different perspectives. It is encouraging that they are all men that have not only been involved, but have been involved in a pro-active way.

A key effort this past year has been the formation of the TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE for ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS, an effort that our organization spearheaded. This committee, chaired by Dr. Ted Loudon (loudon@egr.msu.edu), has held full day meetings approximately monthly since its formation in early 1996. This committee adopted a "Statement of Purpose" that reads as follows:

"The purpose of the Michigan Technical Advisory Committee for Onsite Wastewater Treatment is to promote performance based standards and practices that will set environmental protection and treatment above perspective codes and disposal. This will be accomplished through fostering education, research and technology transfer. The committee will act as a review agent and clearing house for alternative design approaches."

The TAC is made up of representatives from MOWRA, MEHA, MALEHA, MSTA, Michigan State University, and the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality. A frequent guest of the committee, and a helpful active participant in the discussions, has been Peter Kemple, a law professor at Cooley Law School. The TAC has taken it upon itself as a major first project the establishment of an onsite technology training center. It is anticipated that construction will begin on the training center this spring, with the hope that it can be put into use as soon as possible this summer.

Along with the development of the training center, the committee has been looking at some sort of stable funding mechanism for ongoing training, research and development for onsite technology. This effort will be important if we are to continue testing and evaluating new technology, and to collect, evaluate and publish information on the successes, and also failures, of new products, designs and methods being used in onsite treatment. Two cases in point are the Rose Hill research facility, and the new National Demonstration Project in Benzie County.

You may have noticed that our organization was one of several featured in an article on state associations published in the latest Small Flows Clearinghouse newsletter. If you are not on the mailing list, you should be. The price is right - and the content will do wonders for keeping you abreast of what's happening nationally.

Finally, the revisions to the Plact Act mentioned at the annual meeting were passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor. They become effective on April 1, 1997, as they now stand (though I am told that there is an effort that has been launched to change the effective date). If you have not yet obtained a copy of the changes, get one and read it thoroughly. If your involved in the onsite business in any way, THESE CHANGES WILL EFFECT YOU!! Many questions are yet to be answered as to what the changes all mean, but it appears the state is going to be more involved in onsite treatment than they are currently. Our organization can and should be involved in tracking and seeking input into the plans that are made to implement this new legislation.

And a big THANK YOU to Dan Milan for agreeing to head up a committee of volunteers to take on the responsibility of publishing this newsletter on a regular bases. I am told that he has already put into place some advertisements that we approved at an earlier meeting, and I know his plans are to put together a good letter 3 to 4 times per year. Your help in supplying Dan with appropriate articles on topics of interest to the rest of us will, I'm sure, be very much appreciated. Don't wait for him to call you. Perhaps you can come up with an idea right now! Our newsletter is our most important tool of communication, and each of you have some information or know-how that the rest of us could use.

With that I will pass the torch to Del Mokma! It is in very capable hands.

Larry D. Stephens, P.E.
Past President