News on Stimulus Plan
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Immediate Release January 21, 2008 National Rural Water Association *** Needy Communities Praise Rep. Obey’s Stimulus/Recovery Legislation for Targeting Funding to Most Worthy Water Projects *** (Washington, DC) Small and rural communities are praising U.S. Representative Obey’s (WI) “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” for including key provisions in the bill’s water infrastructure initiatives to ensure that the most-needy water projects are targeted by the proposed stimulus funding. This is the first time Congress has proposed the following three initiatives, which are critical to making the Recovery bill most effective and were all supported by the NRWA: • Funding all the USDA’s water and sanitation $1.5 billion list of projects in the agency’s backlog. • Directing 50 percent of the EPA’s $6 billion in wastewater project funding to subsidies for communities that meet affordability criteria (considered disadvantaged). • Directing 50 percent of the EPA’s $2 billion in drinking water project funding to subsides for disadvantaged communities. We are grateful these provisions were included in the Chairman’s proposal. It ensures that the projects that will result in the most economic, environmental, and public health benefit, will be prioritized in the funding process. The principles have to be specifically included in the legislation to ensure that the objectives are met and federal funding should absolutely be targeted to the most needy projects and disadvantaged communities. Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) had been urging inclusion of the provisions in the stimulus. Dozens of Wisconsin communities had contacted the Congressman to explain the need and benefits of the provisions to their local communities. Ken Blomberg, WRWA Executive Director said, “We sincerely thank Congressman Obey for his support. He has been a strong supporter of water and wastewater infrastructure projects that are meritorious and national in scope. Wisconsin’s economy will certainly benefit with job creation and the resulting stimulus to our economy.” A list of needy communities, in the USDA water project backlog, is available in NRWA’s recent report: “12 Weeks & 1 Day” which evidences why the USDA's water infrastructure funding program is the fastest federal water infrastructure program moving funding from appropriations to project obligation. The report lists billions of dollars in specific ready-to-go projects. Some of the projects listed in the report would result in families receiving piped water for the first time [www.ruralwater.org/12weeks&1day.pdf]. |
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