[StBernard] EPA makes $565 million in Recovery Act funds available

[Westley Annis]

EPA makes $565 million in Recovery Act funds available to several States,
Tribes to provide clean and safe water, create jobs 

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to receive funding to
boost aging water and wastewater infrastructure 

  

(Dallas, Texas - March 17, 2009)  State and tribal governments in
Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 will receive more than $565 million
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for water projects
that will create jobs in addition to protecting public health and the
environment. EPA Region 6 is headquartered in Dallas and includes the states
of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and 65 federally
recognized tribes. This is the first installment of EPA funding available to
support states and tribes in Region 6 under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, which President Obama signed into law on February
17, 2009.  

  

"This new funding will provide a much-needed boost to state, tribal and EPA
efforts to restore an aging water and wastewater infrastructure," said
Lawrence E. Starfield, Acting EPA Regional Administrator. "Not only will it
help state and local governments to finance many overdue improvements, but
it will also promote green projects that provide additional benefits to the
environment." 

  

The individual amounts directed to state and tribal governments will be
delivered via existing programs:  the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and the Tribal Clean Water and Drinking
Water Set-Aside programs. Arkansas will receive $50.4 million, Louisiana
will receive $71.1 million, New Mexico will receive $38.9 million, Oklahoma
will receive $63.4 million, and Texas will receive $341.6 million. In
addition, EPA Region 6 will provide approximately $7 million for tribal w
ater and wastewater infrastructure projects. 

  

These funds will supplement existing annual EPA SRF grants to the states.
The states use these funds to issue loans for enhancing, upgrading and
rebuilding public drinking water systems and public wastewater systems, as
well as funding non-point source projects. The new law provides states with
additional flexibility in loan terms by requiring that at least fifty
percent of the funding be provided in subsidies such as principal
forgiveness or negative interest rates. States and watershed planning
organizations will also benefit from the new law through the provision of
small planning grants to address specific water quality problems. At least
20 percent of the Recovery Act water funds EPA grants to states should be
used for green infrastructure, wat er or energy efficiency improvements or
other environmentally innovative projects. 

  

The States and Federal Agencies are working to identify the best projects
for Recovery Act funding. Opportunities for public comments on each state's
proposed list of projects will occur in the next several weeks. As soon as
the process is complete and applications are received, EPA will provide the
funding. EPA officials expect the funding to flow to the states beginning in
April. 

  

Funding for Tribal drinking water and wastewater infrastructure occurs in a
partnership between EPA, Tribes and the Indian Health Service (IHS).  EPA's
funding will transfer to IHS, who manages the water-related infrastructure
construction for Tribes.  IHS expects to be able to begin using the funding
in April.  

  

While not yet scheduled, similar funding announcements for regional
hazardous waste or, "Superfund," cleanup, "Brownfields" re-development,
Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) projects and Leaking Underground
Storage Tanks will follow in the near future. 

  

Additional information on EPA Region 6 recovery activities is available at
http://www.epa.gov/region6/eparecovery/index.htm
<http://www.epa.gov/region6/eparecovery/index.htm>  

  

To learn more about national American Recovery and Reinvestment Act efforts,
please visit http://www.recovery.gov/ <http://www.recovery.gov/>  

  

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