Infrastructure | YPGG

Lincoln County Sanitation District in Kentucky Recognized by EPA for Excellence and Innovation in Clean Water Infrastructure

November 9, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

ATLANTA - On Wednesday, November 7, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Junction City to Hustonville sewer project in Lincoln County, Kentucky. as one of 30 clean water infrastructure projects for excellence and innovation within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. Honored projects include large wastewater infrastructure projects to small decentralized and agriculture projects.

“The Clean Water State Revolving Fund plays an integral role in advancing the President’s infrastructure agenda, providing communities with low-interest loans so that they can modernize aging infrastructure, create good jobs, and better protect public health and the environment,” said EPA Office of Water Assistant Administrator Dave Ross. “The scale and complexity of the 2018 PISCES recognized projects represent the determination, coordination, and creativity our partners put forth to achieve their water quality goals.”

"The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is an extremely important source of funding to ensure communities in the southeast have access to clean, safe drinking water and the infrastructure necessary to support local needs," said EPA Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn.

The Lincoln County Sanitation District constructed a sanitary sewage system for 535 residential and 50 commercial customers that previously did not have sewer service. The new collection system was a critical upgrade because it replaced 223 failing septic tanks, 101 straight pipes, and two package treatment plants that previously discharged raw sewage. The new conveyance system was made possible through the collaboration of many supporting partners including the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority CWSR, which provided over $4 million in financing for the project.

The CWSRF is a federal EPA-state partnership that provides communities a permanent, independent source of low-cost financing for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects. Over the past 31 years, CWSRF programs have provided more than $132 billion in financing for water quality infrastructure.

EPA’s Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program celebrates innovation demonstrated by CWSRF programs and assistance recipients.

Learn more about each of the 2018 PISCES-recognized projects at https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf/pisces.

EPA, Maryland, and Coastal Bays Program to Continue and Expand Partnership with University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

September 24, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

PHILADELPHIA - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, and Maryland state officials signed an agreement with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to build on the school’s environmental opportunities for students and faculty and its involvement in watershed restoration activities. The parties to the agreement also include the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department of the Environment, and Maryland Department of Agriculture.

“This revised agreement with UMES will further the school’s commitment to environmental solutions, student and faculty opportunities, and hands-on restoration efforts,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “The new MOU includes features that will take the partnership to a new level.”

Among its provisions, the five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) includes the development of an Environmental Center at UMES, a Green Infrastructure Certificate Program, and a focus on public, private, and non-profit partnerships for environmental initiatives.

“UMES is pleased to reaffirm its commitment of working alongside the EPA and other state partners to develop a well-trained and diverse workforce,” said University President Heidi M. Anderson. “The University sees this partnership as a perfect fit for its land-grant mission to address environmental challenges through research and related programs to engage the community.”

Through this MOU, the parties intend to work together to enhance cooperation over the next five years - recognizing many opportunities for beneficial enhanced collaboration which may include:

Supporting and promoting student recruitment, internships, career development, and employment in environmental science and related fields;
development opportunities for faculty; Supporting the development of an Environmental Center at UMES for research and education;
private and non-profit partnerships for environmental initiatives and student career development; and Supporting watershed restoration activities in the Maryland Coastal Bays Watershed.

As part of the Agreement, UMES will also create a Green Infrastructure Certificate Program (GICP) providing training, and focusing students in urban and coastal green infrastructure initiatives. The goal of the GICP is to knit together green infrastructure concepts and academic studies to provide a path for undergraduate students to gain greater understanding and knowledge for the integration of green infrastructure into stormwater management.

The MOU is part of EPA's Minority Academic Institutions Program which was created to increase opportunities for Minority Academic Institutions to participate in federal programs. EPA works with these schools to increase participation in ways that will strengthen them by promoting faculty development, increasing institutional capacity, and fully developing the diverse talent pool that constitutes our nation.

For more information about EPA's Minority Academic Institutions Program, please visit: https://intranet.epa.gov/r3intran/ocr/minority_institutions.html

EPA Backs Virginia Plan to Improve Water Quality

August 28, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

PHILADELPHIA - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it has approved and helped fund a $105.7 million plan by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to implement key water infrastructure projects, including new and upgraded wastewater treatment plants to better serve residents, increase efficiency, and reduce pollution.

“This federal-state partnership is critically important to helping achieve President Trump’s and EPA’s goal of improving our nation’s water infrastructure,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “All Americans deserve clean water and the revolving loan program will greatly benefit Virginia communities.”

Virginia’s Intended Use Plan includes an award of $32.8 million from EPA’s FY 2018 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The plan by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is also funded with a $6.6 million state match, repayments from prior CWSRF loans, and interest earnings.

The projects targeted for funding in the state’s CWSRF plan include:

$23,600,000 to the City of Lynchburg for a wet weather pumping station and wet weather disinfection system at its wastewater treatment plant, which will greatly reduce the impact that storms have on local water quality.

$10,000,000 to the City of Norfolk to replace multiple aging sewer mains throughout the city.

$9,550,000 to the City of Richmond to address sewer overflows during storms through upgrades and modifications to system components and facilities.

$6,691,500 to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District to rehabilitate 11,000 linear feet of sewer lines along Orcut Avenue and 9,400 linear feet of sewer lines along Mercury Blvd.

$1,092,854 to the County of Alleghany to rehabilitate the sanitary sewer system in the Rosedale subdivision.

$423,700 to the Town of Marion to replace 3,185 feet of terra-cotta sewer line.

$2,000,000 to the City of Petersburg for the replacement of water main for the Poor Creek Force Main.

$1,869,028 to the Town of Coeburn to replace sewer lines in the Banner and Bondtown areas.

$12,500,000 to the Pepper’s Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority for upgrades and replacement of various system components.

$8,172,792 to the Sanitary Board of Bluefield for the replacement of worn, failure- prone and outdated equipment at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"Over the last decades, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund has been critical to our efforts to advance clean water in the Commonwealth of Virginia," said DEQ Director David Paylor. "This funding will provide significant support to our Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts in the coming years."

The CWSRF program provides low interest loans for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities and other projects vital to protecting and improving water quality in rivers, lakes and streams for drinking water, recreation and natural habitat. The loans help communities keep water and sewer rates more affordable while addressing local water quality problems.

For more information about EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program: https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf

EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects in New York

April 5, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

Contact: Tayler Covington, (212) 637-3662, covington.tayler@epa.gov

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.

“Thanks to the President’s leadership, this WIFIA funding will spark new investments to repair our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will play a key role in the President’s infrastructure efforts by incentivizing states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to protect public health, fix local infrastructure problems, create jobs, and provide clean water to communities.”

The WIFIA program received $63 million in funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. This more than doubles the program’s funding from 2017. Leveraging private capital and other funding sources, these projects could support $11 billion in water infrastructure investment and create more than 170,000 jobs. This year’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the importance of protecting public health including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems and updating the nation’s aging infrastructure.

What is WIFIA? It’s the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. And it has $5.5 billion in credit available now to finance over $11 billion projects. Learn more: https://t.co/phgbRVVrHW pic.twitter.com/GAVZlNd5wv

— U.S. EPA (@EPA) April 5, 2018

“New York knows all too well the costs of storm damaged water and wastewater systems. All of us have witnessed just how vulnerable our infrastructure is,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Funding critical repairs and improving resiliency in our wastewater treatment and drinking water distribution systems remains a critical priority. We need investment to protect and promote our communities, our local economies, and public health.”

The WIFIA program will play an important part in making vital improvements to the nation’s water infrastructure and implementing the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for increasing the program’s funding authorization and expanding project eligibility.

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide range of projects, including:

drinking water treatment and distribution projects
wastewater conveyance and treatment projects
enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities
desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling project
drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects

EPA will evaluate proposed projects described in the LOIs using WIFIA’s statutory and regulatory criteria as described in the NOFA. Through this competitive process, EPA will select projects that it intends to fund and invite them to continue to the application process.

In 2017, for WIFIA’s inaugural round, EPA invited 12 projects in 9 states to apply for more than $2 billion in WIFIA loans.

For more information about WIFIA and this funding announcement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

Tag: Infrastructure