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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 1997
97-132
Contacts:
Kim McKee (360) 407-6566
Mary Getchell (360) 407-6157, Pager (360) 534-8590
Olympia, WA - Local communities should soon begin work to improve water quality in surface and ground waters. This month, the Washington Department of Ecology proposed to offer more than $85 million in grants and loans to local governments and a Native American tribe to help solve our state's most critical water quality problems.
"This is a significant amount of money to help communities work toward solving water quality problems," said Dick Wallace, acting program manager for Ecology's Water Quality Program. "The money will be used for activities such as building or upgrading municipal wastewater treatment plants, implementing pollution controls on stormwater and improving and protecting groundwater and other pollution prevention activities. Ecology will also provide technical assistance to the communities receiving the grants and loans."
Ecology is proposing to issue grants and loans from three funding sources: Centennial Clean Water Fund, Washington State Pollution Control Revolving Fund and Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Fund. A 1986 state statute created the Centennial Clean Water Fund, which is financed primarily through taxes on tobacco products. In 1987, Congress established the State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to local governments and Native American tribes. In 1990, Congress created the Section 319 grant program to help states and communities manage nonpoint source pollution and improve and protect water quality. Nonpoint source pollution comes from multiple and diverse sources such as stormwater runoff, land development and gardening and agricultural practices. Ecology is responsible for administering the grant and loan programs.
This year, local governments and Native American tribes requested more funding for more projects than ever before. Communities asked for nearly twice the amount of money available. Governments and the Washington State Legislature asked Ecology to consider funding 254 projects totaling more than $134.1 million. Congressional and legislative appropriations allowed Ecology to propose offering to fund 73 projects, totaling more than $85 million.
"We feel it's very unfortunate that we could not fund more projects -- the competition for funding was very steep," said Steve Carley, Ecology's water quality financial management section manager. "It is a tough decision to determine which projects to fund, when we are $50 million short of the funding requests. However, those decisions must be made to meet the highest priority needs statewide with the available funds."
Ecology evaluated each project based upon the community's water quality problem, solution or anticipated outcome to the problem and the adequacy of the project budget.
Ecology will provide Centennial funding for local government projects totaling more than $38 million. The legislature appropriated $12.5 million of Centennial funding to upgrade and improve King County's West Point wastewater treatment plant. The fund also provides $5 million to assist the City of Spokane and Spokane County in improving ground water quality by eliminating on-site septic systems serving homes and businesses. The homes and businesses will be connected to the city's wastewater treatment plant. This year, the Legislature also targeted $9.85 million of Centennial funding for five communities to do reclaimed water and reuse demonstration projects. The reclaimed water projects are geared toward reusing treated wastewater for activities such as watering city parks and golf courses.
By federal law, Ecology is asking for public input on the projects proposed to receive State Revolving Fund loans and Section 319 grants. Ecology will conduct a public hearing.
People may also send written comments on the proposed funding lists by July 31. Comments should be sent to Kim McKee, Department of Ecology, PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
