EPA to begin time-critical removal work at Kaiser site in Mead

Posted on July 23, 2020 by admin-srrttf

Asbestos, PCBs at former aluminum smelter pose risks to people

(July 23, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that on Monday July 27, it will begin ‘time-critical’ cleanup actions at the Former Kaiser Smelter Site, in Mead, just north of downtown Spokane.

The work will reduce or eliminate risks to people, nearby homes and businesses, and the environment posed by asbestos, PCBs, and other chemicals.

During the first phase of this work crews managed by EPA’s Emergency Management Branch will remove PCBs and asbestos-contaminated materials from the 170-acre, developed portion of the site. This part of the site has many large, deteriorating structures and waste piles.

The second phase will remove contaminated water and sediment from settling ponds on a 400-acre, undeveloped part of the site, north of the former plant. These ponds are full and actively releasing PCBs to Deadman Creek — a tributary of the Little Spokane River – at levels hundreds of times higher than state water quality standards. Thus, the ponds pose a threat of a larger release of toxic PCBs to the watershed. This work will help protect fish, people who eat fish, and other important elements of the watershed ecosystem.

EPA expects work will wrap up by late December.

In 2019, at the request of the Washington Department of Ecology, EPA conducted field sampling at the site and found very high levels of a number of hazardous chemicals, including cancer-causing PCBs, PAHs, and asbestos-containing materials. These substances pose health risks to people who visit the site and are unaware of the danger.

Work will begin on or around July 27 and is expected to be completed by late December. The current cleanup plans include removing:

Highly contaminated building siding;
Siding material that has sloughed off onto the ground;
Friable asbestos-containing pipe insulation;
Piles of leftover toxic material; and
Contaminated water and sediment from the settling ponds and stormwater conveyance system.

For more about the work at the Former Kaiser Smelter Site in Mead go to: https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=14546

July 22, 2020 SRRTTF Zoom meeting and EPA funding announcement

Posted on July 15, 2020 by admin-srrttf

We are scheduling a Task Force meeting on short notice for one agenda item that is time sensitive. It will be a short zoom meeting to discuss and hopefully approve the PCBs in products database development Phase 1 scope of work received from Kyle Shimabuku at Gonzaga University. This work is being recommended by the TSCA work group. We discussed this topic at the last Task Force meeting. In summary this work will help in determining the sufficiency of available data to include in a database.

Please email lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com to receive the Zoom meeting link. The meeting will be at 1 pm.

Meeting document:

GU Phase I SOW Final

EPA Announces $6 Billion in New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

Funding availability builds on 24 WIFIA loans issued under President Trump financing nearly $12 billion in water infrastructure and creating 25,000 jobs

WASHINGTON (July 14, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2020 notice of funding availability under its Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, including funding for the new State infrastructure financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program. These funding programs accelerate investment in critical water infrastructure through innovative and flexible financing that can support diverse projects in both large and small communities. This year’s funding will provide up to $6 billion to support $12 billion in water infrastructure projects while creating more than 35,000 jobs and improving public health and environmental protection in communities across the country.

“EPA’s WIFIA loan program has become one of the most effective tools used in President Trump’s efforts to upgrade our nation’s infrastructure, create jobs and safeguard public health and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “This new round of $6 billion in funding comes in time to help communities that are trying to recover from the health and financial stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and, for the first time, includes funding expressly available to states.”

To date, EPA has issued 24 WIFIA loans totaling $5.3 billion in credit assistance to help finance $11.7 billion for water infrastructure projects while creating 25,000 jobs—including eight WIFIA loans closed and one refinanced from March 2020 through June 2020. These recent loan closings will save ratepayers over $1 billion compared to typical bond financing while supporting the financial health of vital water systems. This financial support came at a critical time as the federal government, EPA and the water sector worked together to help mitigate the public health and financial impacts of COVID-19.

This announcement marks the fourth round of WIFIA funding. This year’s notice of funding availability prioritizes construction-ready projects in three areas: updating aging infrastructure; reducing exposure to lead and addressing emerging contaminants; and water reuse and recycling. The 2020 notice of funding availability builds upon the existing, active pipeline of WIFIA projects, which includes 49 projects in 19 states and D.C. For the first time, the agency will evaluate submitted projects using additional criteria that were developed to help clarify project and federal budgetary considerations. EPA will accept letters of interest from prospective WIFIA borrowers for 90 days after publication in the Federal Register.

EPA is also, for the first time, providing funds under SWIFIA. This new program, which was authorized by Congress as part of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018, offers low-interest loans to state water infrastructure programs (e.g., the State Revolving Funds) that then help finance needed water infrastructure projects in local communities. This round of funding will provide SWIFIA borrowers up to $1 billion to support $2 billion in water infrastructure projects. EPA will accept letters of interest from state water infrastructure programs for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

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 projects; and
drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects.

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

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

Feb. SRRTTF meetings/biofilm news story/EPA grant

Posted on January 29, 2020 by admin-srrttf

Upcoming SRRTTF meetings: (conf. call number 605-313-5141, 723394#)
PMF work group: Feb. 4 at 11 am (conf. call)
TSCA work group: Feb. 5 at 10 am (conf. call)
Education & Outreach work group: Feb. 11 at 10 am (Spokane Regional Health District)
The next SRRTTF meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District – 22510 E Mission Ave., Spokane, WA
(For additional info. contact lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com)

Crosscut has written an article “10 of the Wildest Discoveries Washington Scientists Made in 2019” which includes Siana Wong and Brandee Era-Miller’s work on the PCB biofilm project.

Take a look at number 4! https://crosscut.com/2019/12/10-wildest-discoveries-washington-scientists-made-2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $9.38 million in total federal pollution prevention grant funding over a two-year funding cycle ($4.69 million in FY 2020 funds and $4.69 million in FY 2021 funds). Individual grant awards could be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for the two-year funding period or between $20,000 – $250,000 funded per year.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020

EPA Announces Grant Opportunity for Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance

San Francisco – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

“Pollution prevention grants are important tools that help support innovative solutions to reducing pollution,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “The results of work done under these grants have created best practices that are helping to advance economic growth, increase sustainability and protect the environment.”

For these grants, EPA emphasizes the importance of grantees documenting and sharing P2 best practices that are identified and developed through these grants, so that others can replicate these practices and outcomes. Each grantee will be required to develop at least one case study during the grant period on P2 practices that are new or not widely known or adopted, or where detailed information on the P2 practices could benefit other businesses or P2 technical assistance providers.

Grant applications should focus on at least one of the following P2 priority areas, also referred to as National Emphasis Areas (NEAs) that support several of the Agency’s Smart Sectors:

NEA #1: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing
NEA #2: Chemical Manufacturing, Processing and Formulation
NEA #3: Automotive Manufacturing and Maintenance
NEA #4: Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing and Maintenance
NEA #5: Metal Manufacturing and Fabrication

EPA’s national P2 Program will host two informational webinars for potential applicants and interested stakeholders. The first webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8522288642270023693.

This webinar will review information about the P2 Grant program and the application process to help potential applicants submit a high-quality application to EPA for consideration. Time will be provided on the webinar for questions and answers.

The second webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT to review and answer questions on the NEAs for this grant competition cycle. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4696774328423521549.

The webinar registration links will work best when using the Google Chrome browser. Please consult the solicitation for further details.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020. Additional information is available on www.grants.gov, under Funding Opportunity Announcement EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-001.

Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

EPA Grant Opportunities

Posted on November 18, 2019 by admin-srrttf

EPA announced the availability of the FY 2019/FY2020 Request for Applications for the Clean Water Act Section 123 Columbia River Basin Restoration Grant Program. This grant program opens today and closes 12/20/2019.

EPA will hold two informational webinars. You may register using the links below. In case you are not able to attend, recordings of the webinars will be made available.

Thursday, November 7, 2019, 10-11am (PST). Register for the Nov. 7 webinar.
Monday, November 25, 2019, 1-2pm (PST). Register for the Nov. 25 webinar.

Here is EPA’s statement about the grant program:

Columbia River Basin Restoration Program 2019/20 Request for Applications

For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is offering over $900,000 in grants to reduce toxics throughout the Columbia River Basin. (See: EPA’s Columbia River Basin Website). The Columbia River Basin is one of the world’s great river basins in size, river volume, and environmental and cultural significance. The basin’s aquatic ecosystem is critical to supporting the fish and wildlife and over 8 million residents who depend on its resources for their health and livelihoods. As many as 16 million Columbia River salmon and steelhead would return annually to spawn in the basin. Columbia River tribes have depended on native fish species, including (but not limited to) salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey for thousands of years for spiritual, cultural, and nutritional sustenance. Human activities have affected fish spawning and rearing habitat, blocked or impeded fish passage, and contributed toxic contaminants that have impaired water quality and fish health. While we know toxic contamination is a human health risk and key environmental justice issue for tribal people and other populations who consume large amounts of fish, toxics reduction is not a component of the multi-state, multi-agency effort to restore fish and wildlife throughout the basin.

Columbia River Basin Restoration Act

On December 9, 2016, Congress passed the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act which directs the EPA to establish a Columbia River Basin Restoration Program, including a voluntary, competitive grant program for “environmental protection and restoration programs throughout the Basin.” To address the need for toxics reduction as a critical component of restoration of the Columbia River Basin EPA is soliciting grant applications from organizations to develop and implement projects to reduce toxics, enhance toxics monitoring, support small-scale cleanups, and increase public education and outreach about toxics that affect the river’s multiple ecosystems.

The Columbia River Basin Restoration Grant Program will assist tribal, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others to implement the Columbia River Basin Toxics Reduction Action Plan, the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, and conduct activities to support EPA’s four goals for this grant program:

Increased monitoring and access to data from monitoring
Reducing stormwater and agricultural runoff
Promoting citizen engagement or education to promote pollution prevention
Targeted small-scale clean-up actions to reduce toxics enter the river basin.

Applying for a Columbia River Restoration Program Toxics Reduction grant

The agency is issuing two Requests for Application: one for the Lower Columbia River Estuary and one for the Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin. Eligible entities include state governments, tribal governments, regional water pollution control organizations, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and soil and water conservation districts. The work must be for the purpose of environmental protection and restoration activities within the Columbia River Basin, and may include programs, projects and studies.

RFAs can be found at: EPA’s Columbia River Basin Website
Lower Columbia River Estuary – EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2019-01
Middle and Upper Columbia River Basin – EPA-R10-OW-CRBRP-2019-02

Dates:
Friday, December 20, 2019 RFA Closes, Applications Due at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
February – September 2020 Anticipated Notification of Selection
April – December 2020 Anticipated Award

Award Amounts per RFA
Minimum Application Amount: $60,000
Maximum Application Amount: $200,000
Total Available Funds: $225,000 and $675,000
Application packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than Friday, December 20, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to be considered for funding.

EPA Announces Requests for Applications for the 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program

WASHINGTON — As authorized by the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, EPA is pleased to announce the availability of up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education projects under the 2020 Environmental Education Grant Program. EPA will award three to four grants in each of the agency’s 10 regions. Groups interested must submit their application by Jan. 6, 2020, to be considered. The Requests for Application (RFA) is posted on: www.grants.gov.

“This funding will support projects aimed at educating and inspiring the next generation of Americans to tackle pressing environmental challenges like marine litter and food waste,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Through EPA’s Environmental Education Grant Program, we are able to bring more environmental education opportunities to local communities across the country.”

In addition to other environmental topics, the 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program will fund education-based projects pertaining to marine debris mitigation, food waste and loss reduction, and recycling. Funded projects will both increase public awareness on various environmental matters and enhance participants’ abilities to make informed decisions on environmental issues prospectively.

Additional Background on How to Apply

Determine Eligibility.

Applicants must represent one of the following types of organizations to be eligible for an environmental education grant:
- local education agency
- state education or environmental agency
- college or university
- non-profit organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- noncommercial educational broadcasting entity
- tribal education agency (which includes schools and community colleges controlled by an Indian tribe, band, or nation and which are recognized as eligible for special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians and which are not administered by the Bureau of Indian Education.)
Applicant organizations must be located in the United States or territories and the majority of the educational activities must take place in the United States; or in the United States and Canada or Mexico; or in the U.S.Territories.

Complete the Application and Budget Forms, according to the directions.

Each RFA contains complete instructions for submitting a proposal, including all required information and limitations on format. A summary of the required information is below. Read the RFA thoroughly for application procedures. All applications must be submitted through: www.grants.gov.
Find the forms on the “Application Forms” tab. Materials should be submitted in the following order:
- Two Federal forms: Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) and Budget (SF 424-A)
- Work Plan (up to 8 pages):
  1. Project Summary (recommended 1 page)
  2. Detailed Project Description
  3. Project Evaluation Plan
  4. Detailed Budget Showing Match and Subawards (not included in the page limit)
  5. Appendices (not included in the page limit)
    - Timeline
    - Logic Model Showing Outputs and Outcomes
    - Programmatic Capabilities and Past Performance
    - Letters Stating Responsibilities of Partners, if applicable
      
      Submit the Proposal Materials.

Applications must be submitted by Jan. 6, 2020, electronically through: www.grants.gov by following the instructions in the RFA.
The full list of solicitation notices is available at: www.grants.gov and at: https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grant-solicitation-notice.

PMF & Green Chemistry final reports/Ecology & EPA news/EAP sampling schedule/Upcoming mtgs.

Posted on July 10, 2019 by admin-srrttf

Task Force,

The PMF blank study final report with the changes discussed at the last Task Force meeting can be seen on the website at this link: http://srrttf.org/?page_id=10186

The final IPCBs and Pigments report from Northwest Green Chemistry can be seen at this link: http://srrttf.org/?page_id=10179

Ecology’s Water Quality Program is offering more than $183 million in financial assistance for 106 high-priority clean water projects across the state. See the link below for more information:
From onsite septic repair to stormwater infrastructure, $183 million is going to more than 100 clean water projects

EPA’s May 2019 Fish and Shellfish Program Newsletter focuses on PCBs. Click the link for some interesting articles.

Brandee Era-Miller and Siana Wong from the Dept. of Ecology will be out on the Spokane River doing sampling work the first week in August and they could use one additional person to help on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday August 6-8. Please email Siana Wong, swon461@ECY.WA.GOV if interested.

Upcoming work group meetings (conf. calls: 605-313-5141, 723394#):
July 31 – Tech Track @ 10 am (Dept. of Ecology office, 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane)
Aug. 7 – TSCA conf. call @ 10 am
Aug. 8 – Data Management conf. call @ 3pm
Aug. 13 – Education and Outreach @ 10 am (Spokane Regional Health District office)
For meeting materials please follow this link on the website: http://srrttf.org/?page_id=9623 and then select the work group you are interested in.

EPA letter to Dept. of Ecology on HHC

Posted on May 13, 2019 by admin-srrttf

Hi Task Force members and interested parties,

Here is a letter from EPA to Maia Bellon, the Director of the Department of Ecology, regarding EPA’s recent reversal of November 15, 2016 partial disapproval (and thereby providing approval) of certain Human Health Criteria (including for PCBs):

05102019 Dept of Ecology HHWQ ltr with Technical Support Document

Proposed NPDES Permit for Wellpinit Wastewater Treatment Plant on the Spokane Indian Reservation

Posted on October 17, 2018 by admin-srrttf

The EPA is proposing to issue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to the Wellpinit Wastewater Treatment Plant on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington.

The draft permit places conditions on the discharge of pollutants from the wastewater treatment plant to waters of the United States. In order to ensure protection of water quality and human health, the permit places limits on the types and amounts of pollutants that can be discharged from the facility.

Refer to the webpage for access to the draft permit, fact sheet and information about how to submit comments during the public comment period.

Proposed Permit for Wellpinit Wastewater Treatment Plant on the Spokane Indian Reservation

Comments Due: 11/12/2018

EPA response to SRRTTF Inadvertent PCBs letter from 5/9/2018

Posted on October 6, 2018 by admin-srrttf

Hi Task Force,

On May 9, 2018 the Task Force sent a letter to the EPA expressing concerns about regulatory consistency between the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). Here is the EPA response letter: EPA letter

In addition to the letter, EPA has also provided a bibliography of inadvertent PCB research sources compiled in early 2018 : Bibliography of PCB Research 2018

Thanks!

EPA NEWS: EPA Solicits Applications for Grants to Provide Businesses with Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance and Training

Posted on April 6, 2018 by admin-srrttf

EPA Solicits Applications for Grants to Provide Businesses with Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance and Training

EPA is calling for grant proposals from state and tribal agencies, universities, colleges and other organizations to provide pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance or training to businesses. These two-year projects are expected to be performed in each EPA region.

The solicitation for this grant competition can be found at www.Grants.gov and at www.epa.gov/p2/grant-programs-pollution-prevention (Funding Opportunity Number – EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-001). Grant applications are due April 26.

If Congress appropriates Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and 2019 funds for this grant program at levels comparable to FY 2017 funding levels, individual federal government grant awards may potentially be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for a two-year funding period (between $20,000 – $250,000 per year). However, some EPA regions may have lower award caps. P2 awards will be funded in the form of two-year grants or cooperative agreements. The actual amount or availability of grant funding released each year is dependent on Congressional appropriation, the final EPA budget, and the quality of proposals received. P2 grant recipients (with the exception of tribes) must provide at least a 50 percent match of the total allowable project cost.

Pollution Prevention (P2) means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. In keeping with the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, EPA is encouraging P2 because implementing these approaches can result in reductions in pollutants, the use of water, energy and other raw materials, while also lowering business costs. All grant awards will support the delivery of P2 technical assistance and/or training for businesses, and the identification, development, documentation and sharing of P2 best management practices and innovations.

Grant proposals should focus on one or more of the following P2 priority areas, referred to as National Emphasis Areas (NEAs):

NEA #1: Business-Based Pollution Prevention Solutions Supporting Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Priorities and Chemical Safety: P2 technical assistance and projects that identify, test, implement and/or disseminate business-based P2 solutions for TSCA-regulated chemicals, with particular emphasis on chemicals identified in the TSCA 2014 Workplan for Chemical Assessments.

NEA #2: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing: P2 technical assistance and projects to support more sustainable food and beverage manufacturing and processing entities in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 311 and 3121 resulting in reduced toxic air emissions or water discharges, water or energy usage, hazardous materials generation and use, and/or business costs.
NEA #3: Hazardous Materials Source Reduction Approaches in States or Communities: P2 technical assistance and projects to support state or community-based approaches to hazardous materials source reduction to reduce the generation and use of hazardous materials from business or industry sectors. This NEA is intended to leverage governmental/business/economic/infrastructure resources within a geographically contiguous area to address local (community) or broader (state) environmental and public health issues using P2 approaches.

For further information, please contact:

Primary EPA HQ Contact	Michele Amhaz 202-564-8857 amhaz.michele@epa.gov
EPA Region 1 CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT	Lee Fiske Phone: 617-918-1847 Email: fiske.lee@epa.gov
EPA Region 2 NJ, NY, PR, VI	Alex Peck Phone: 212-637-3758 Email address: peck.alex@epa.gov
EPA Region 3 DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV	Mindy Lemoine Phone: 215-814-2736 Email: lemoine.mindy@epa.gov
EPA Region 4 AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN	Daphne Wilson Phone: 404-562-9098 Email: wilson.daphne@epa.gov
EPA Region 5 IL, IN, OH, MI, MN, WI	Christine Anderson Phone: 312-886-9749 Email: anderson.christineA@epa.gov
EPA Region 6 AR, LA, NM, OK, TX	David Bond Phone: 214-665-6431 Email: bond.david@epa.gov
EPA Region 7 IA, KS, MO, NE	Lisa Thresher Phone: 913- 551-7964 Email: thresher.lisa@epa.gov
EPA Region 8 CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY	Melissa Payan Phone: 303-312-6511 Email: payan.melissa@epa.gov
EPA Region 9 AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU	Jessica Counts–Arnold Phone: 415-972-3288 Email: counts–arnold.jessica@epa.gov
EPA Region 10 AK, ID, OR, WA	Robert Drake Phone: 206-553-4803 Email: drake.robert@epa.gov

EPA NEWS: EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

Posted on April 6, 2018 by admin-srrttf

EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects
Funding will leverage public and private investments to keep lead and other contaminants out of drinking water and upgrade aging water infrastructure

04/04/2018
Contact Information:
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON — Today, 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.

“An investment in water infrastructure is an investment in our communities,” said Dr. Andrew Sawyers, director of the Office of Wastewater Management. “The WIFIA program helps improve water quality and protect public health while supporting the local economy.”

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.