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Nearly $39 Million of Recovery Act Funding Will Go to Vermont – Protecting Water Quality and Creating Jobs

Release Date: 05/28/2009
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – May 28, 2009) – Vermont is slated to receive nearly $39 million from EPA for clean water projects to create jobs and protect communities and 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 wastewater projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.

“These funds will help both our communities and the environment,” said Ira W. Leighton, acting regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “Clean, safe water is one of the bedrock foundations of communities and an economy that can grow and thrive. This money is an important start to upgrade our aging infrastructure, while creating well-paid, ‘green’ jobs.”

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.

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.

More information:

Recovery efforts and the environment in New England (www.epa.gov/region1/eparecovery)

National EPA programs related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(https://www.epa.gov/recovery/index.html)

EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Funds (https://www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/) and (https://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/)

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