June 8, 2009
Special Council Meeting June 9 on 23% Sanitary Board Increase
Alternatives to Full Loans Could be Available; EPA Obtains $121.6 Million Recovery Act Funds for Water Infrastructure Projects in Maryland
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
And EPA Release Sources
Editor’s Note: Huntington City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. pertaining to a proposed 23% rate increase by the Huntington Sanitary Board. The public is invited to attend and speak to council whether they are for or against the increase.
At least one councilman has queried that a second opinion be obtained for options about the use of the money in the Sanitary Board Proposal and whether the increase could be trimmed. The Board insists that a rate increase is a provision for a loan, however, based on internet research CDBG funds are available for sewer/storm water projects and Charleston funded one upgrade with proceeds from a state Economic Development Program, which helped finance their new baseball park as well as completion of Pullman Square,
The Sanitary Board has stated that the rates must be at a certain level to qualify for State Revolving (Loan) Fund programs. They provide low-interest loans to finance infrastructure, The Clean Water and Drinking Water programs in Maryland, which recently received $121.6 million to its Department of Environment, provides fund to small and disadvantaged communities and encourages pollution prevention projects.
Finally, the Funding Decentralized Wastewater Systems Using the Clean Water State Revolving fund fact sheet (2002) indicated that HUD’s Community Development Block Grant can be used for rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures, construction of public facilities, and improvements to water and sewer facilities. http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/srf_for_decentralized_systems.pdf
Wheeling, WV , which received approximately an additional $400,000 in CDBG Recovery Funding, would include public works projects such as a storm sewer on 39th Street from Jacob to Water Streets. Also, the City of Martinsburg received an additional $100,000 (and change) for low to moderate income residents. Martinsburg, which previously funded a storm sewer project with CDBG monies, plans to use the money to address residential flooding concern, according to Martinsburg City Manager Mark Baldwin. (http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&format=html&story _id=217733.) Similarly, Charleston in 2003 qualified for nearly $900,000 in 2003 from the West Virginia Economic Development Grant Committee, which helped fund Charleston’s new baseball stadium and Pullman Square.
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Philadelphia, PA (HNN) -- 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 the State of Maryland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded over $121.6 million to the Maryland Department of the Environment. 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 water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.
“Maryland now has the ‘green light’ to fund projects that will protect public health, upgrade infrastructure, and invigorate local economies across the state,” said William C. Early, acting administrator of EPA’s mid-Atlantic region. “This financing is significant when you consider that the state is poised to fund a project in every Maryland county.”
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $94.78 million. It provides low-interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $26.83 million. It provides low-interest loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.
Many of the clean water projects will aid in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and watershed, helping to reduce excess nutrients from wastewater treatment plants and other sources by upgrading waste water treatment plants, sewer and water main upgrades and other much needed infrastructure projects which are in the Bay watershed.
An unprecedented $6 billion dollars will be awarded to fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the country under the Recovery Act in the form of low-interest loans, principal forgiveness and grants. At least 20% 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.
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.
Information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 visit http://www.epa.gov/recovery.
Information on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/index.htm.
Information on the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/.
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Special Council Meeting June 9 on 23% Sanitary Board Increase
Alternatives to Full Loans Could be Available; EPA Obtains $121.6 Million Recovery Act Funds for Water Infrastructure Projects in Maryland
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
And EPA Release Sources
Editor’s Note: Huntington City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. pertaining to a proposed 23% rate increase by the Huntington Sanitary Board. The public is invited to attend and speak to council whether they are for or against the increase.
At least one councilman has queried that a second opinion be obtained for options about the use of the money in the Sanitary Board Proposal and whether the increase could be trimmed. The Board insists that a rate increase is a provision for a loan, however, based on internet research CDBG funds are available for sewer/storm water projects and Charleston funded one upgrade with proceeds from a state Economic Development Program, which helped finance their new baseball park as well as completion of Pullman Square,
The Sanitary Board has stated that the rates must be at a certain level to qualify for State Revolving (Loan) Fund programs. They provide low-interest loans to finance infrastructure, The Clean Water and Drinking Water programs in Maryland, which recently received $121.6 million to its Department of Environment, provides fund to small and disadvantaged communities and encourages pollution prevention projects.
Finally, the Funding Decentralized Wastewater Systems Using the Clean Water State Revolving fund fact sheet (2002) indicated that HUD’s Community Development Block Grant can be used for rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures, construction of public facilities, and improvements to water and sewer facilities. http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/srf_for_decentralized_systems.pdf
Wheeling, WV , which received approximately an additional $400,000 in CDBG Recovery Funding, would include public works projects such as a storm sewer on 39th Street from Jacob to Water Streets. Also, the City of Martinsburg received an additional $100,000 (and change) for low to moderate income residents. Martinsburg, which previously funded a storm sewer project with CDBG monies, plans to use the money to address residential flooding concern, according to Martinsburg City Manager Mark Baldwin. (http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&format=html&story _id=217733.) Similarly, Charleston in 2003 qualified for nearly $900,000 in 2003 from the West Virginia Economic Development Grant Committee, which helped fund Charleston’s new baseball stadium and Pullman Square.
****
Philadelphia, PA (HNN) -- 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 the State of Maryland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded over $121.6 million to the Maryland Department of the Environment. 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 water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.
“Maryland now has the ‘green light’ to fund projects that will protect public health, upgrade infrastructure, and invigorate local economies across the state,” said William C. Early, acting administrator of EPA’s mid-Atlantic region. “This financing is significant when you consider that the state is poised to fund a project in every Maryland county.”
The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $94.78 million. It provides low-interest loans for water quality protection projects for wastewater treatment, non-point source pollution control, and watershed and estuary management. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program will receive $26.83 million. It provides low-interest loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.
Many of the clean water projects will aid in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and watershed, helping to reduce excess nutrients from wastewater treatment plants and other sources by upgrading waste water treatment plants, sewer and water main upgrades and other much needed infrastructure projects which are in the Bay watershed.
An unprecedented $6 billion dollars will be awarded to fund water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the country under the Recovery Act in the form of low-interest loans, principal forgiveness and grants. At least 20% 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.
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.
Information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 visit http://www.epa.gov/recovery.
Information on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/index.htm.
Information on the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/.
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