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9A Page 14 TELECOM IN THE NEWS AT&T-Bell South Merger Could Slow Telecom Debate A proposed merger between AT&T and BellSouth may slow the process for telecommuni- cations reform this year. The merger will undergo extensive scrutiny, particularly as it comes on the heels of AT&T acquiring SBC four months ago, and removes another competitor from the industry. For the complete story, visit www.nitelecomupdate.com, and search for the article titled "Proposed AT&T-BeIiSouth Merger Could Slow Telecom Bill Debate. n AT&T Consultant Criticizes Build-Out Re- quirements Bruce Fein, former general counsel ofthe Federal Communications Commission and a consultant to AT&T, has written a commentary piece for The Washington Times, lashing out at local government build-out requirements for broadband access. Fein argues that Congress should do-away with municipal build-out requirements in favor of a "consumer-friendly" federal statute that would allow phone companies to compete on the video market with cable because of the public advan- tages provided by broadband access. To read Fein's commentary, visit www.washinQtontimes.com/commentary/ and search for "Build-out follies." Video Franchising Discussions Increase at State Level Legislation to streamline the processes for authorizing franchise agreements at the state level are increasing. Once Texas passed its law last year, a number of states have followed suit. Virginia and Indiana only need gubernatorial signatures for their new telecommunications franchising legislation to become law, while Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey and South Carolina have proposals on the table. California, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan and North Carolina are also involved in telecommunications reform discus- sion. For the complete story, visit www.njtelecomuDdate.com and search for the article titled "Video Franchising Debate Acceler- ates At State leveL" ........................ STATE AGENCIES PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON UNIVERSAL WASTE HANDLING The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (OTSe) have issued a joint guidance letter on handling universal wastes, as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The temporary exemption to dispose of univer- sal wastes in landfills ended on February 8. Many questions about the disposal prohibition of univer- sal wastes have been posed by local govern- ments, waste haulers and others organization including the League. The guidance materials were issued to provide clarity in response to those questions and are available on the DTSC website at www.dtsc.ca.Qov. Universal wastes are hazardous wastes that are generated by a wide variety of people. Ex- amples include batteries and fluorescent tubes. Universal waste rules allow common, low-hazard wastes to be managed under less stringent requirements than other hazardous wastes. CIWMB and DTSC indicate that they will update the FAQ resource to respond to new questions that arise. The February 2006 joint CIWB-OTSC letter provide indicates the contacts to be used to pose new questions. PAGE 2 . PRIORITY FOCUS March 10, 2006 . Issue #10 Visit the League's Official Website--www.cacities.org