[StBernard] Water News Release (Region 6): Louisiana Receives $435, 200 in Economic Recovery Funds to Improve Water Quality, Create Jobs

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana Receives $435,200 in Economic Recovery Funds to Improve Water
Quality, Create Jobs 

  

U.S. EPA: Funds keep and create jobs to help prevent water pollution and
protect human health and the environment 

  

(Dallas, Texas - June 8, 2009)  In in effort to improve water quality and
create jobs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded
$435,200 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  A total of $39 million will
be awarded nationally to states for Water Quality Management Planning (WQMP)
grants, which will keep and create jobs to help prevent water pollution and
protect human health and the environment.   

  

"The Recovery Act investments are meeting urgent needs for economic growth
and protecting human health and the environment," said EPA Administrator
Lisa P. Jackson.  "Communities across the nation can count on green jobs to
help pull them out of this downturn and ensure the long-term strength of our
economy and our environment."  

  

"The Recovery Act presents a tremendous opportunity to invest in a cleaner,
healthier environment while helping our nation get back on track," said EPA
Acting Regional Administrator Lawrence E. Starfield. "This infusion of
Recovery Act funding will provide Louisiana with more resources for high
priority projects, promote green practices, and create and save jobs." 

  

Planning is an important step in EPA's goal to improve water quality in
America's lakes, rivers and streams. WQMP grants support a broad range of
activities, such as setting standards, monitoring the quality of the water,
developing plans to restore polluted waters, and identifying ways to protect
healthy waters from becoming polluted. States are also encouraged to use
these funds for more innovative planning activities like developing plans to
adapt to climate change, analyzing trends in water availability and use, and
creating low-impact development programs. Grants are awarded to state
agencies and some of the funds can be awarded to regional and interstate
planning organizations.    

  

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on
February 17, 2009, and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented
with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the
American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.


  

For information on EPA's implementation of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit http://www.epa.gov/recovery/
<http://www.epa.gov/recovery/>  

  

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