[StBernard] EPA Awards $2.6 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Clean Up Underground Petroleum Leaks in Louisiana

[Westley Annis]

EPA Awards $2.6 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Clean Up Underground
Petroleum Leaks in Louisiana 
EPA: Funds help create jobs and protect Louisiana land and water. 

(Dallas, Texas - July 9, 2009)  In an effort to protect people where they
live, work, and play, EPA announced the distribution of $2.68 million to
Louisiana under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to assess
and clean up underground storage tank petroleum leaks.  The greatest
potential hazard from a leaking underground storage tank is that the
petroleum or other hazardous substances seep into the soil and contaminate
groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly one-third of all
Americans. 

"We're providing immediate growth opportunities for communities across the
nation, as well as long-term protection from dangerous pollution in the land
and water," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  "EPA is putting people
to work by serving our core mission of protecting human health and the
environment." 

"EPA works closely with states and tribes to clean up leaks from underground
storage tanks," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Lawrence E.
Starfield.  "Putting these Recovery Act dollars to work in Louisiana will
help us assess and clean up more sites, create jobs, and help the economy." 

This money is part of $197 million appropriated under the Recovery Act to
address shovel-ready sites nationwide contaminated by petroleum from leaking
underground storage tanks.  The funds will be used for overseeing assessment
and cleanup of leaks from underground storage tanks or directly paying for
assessment and cleanup of leaks from federally regulated tanks where the
responsible party is unknown, unwilling or unable to finance, or the cleanup
is an emergency response.    

EPA regional underground storage tank programs will enter into cooperative
agreements with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality in summer
2009.  These cooperative agreements will include more detailed descriptions
of state spending plans. 

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 visit Recovery.gov to see how every dollar is being
invested. 

Learn more about EPA's implementation of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009: http://www.epa.gov/recovery/
<http://www.epa.gov/recovery/>  and for information on the implementation in
Louisiana http://www.epa.gov/region6/ <http://www.epa.gov/region6/>  

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