Economy, Create Jobs and Protect the Environment

EPA Press Release

Contact Information: David Sternberg, 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov

(PHILADELPHIA – August 3, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water infrastructure and protect human health and the environment for the people in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded over $93 million to Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to wastewater projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.

“This funding will allow the state to protect public health and improve water quality while putting hundreds of Pennsylvanians to work,” said William C. Early, acting administrator of EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

The Recovery Act funds will go to the state's Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program provides low interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. An unprecedented $4 billion dollars will be awarded to fund wastewater infrastructure projects across the country under the Recovery Act in the form of low interest loans, principal forgiveness and grants. At least 20 percent of the funds provided under the Recovery Act are to be used for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements and other environmentally innovative projects.

This grant is a partial award of the $155,237,800 available through the Recovery Act to Pennsylvania's Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The remaining $61,559,483, which includes funding for Green Project Reserve Projects -- $31,047,560 -- will be awarded to PENNVEST later in the year.

Since the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program began in 1987, EPA has awarded more than $26 billion in grants, which states have turned into $69 billion of financial assistance for water quality projects. The revolving nature of the program ensures water quality projects will be funded for generations to come.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) 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.

Information on implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in Pennsylvania visit http://www.recovery.pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/recovery_pa_gov/5994.

Information on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program visit http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/.