Senator Collins announces more than $30 million in clean water funding

U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will distribute a combined $30,643,200 to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The funding comes through the Water Quality Management Planning and Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs.

The majority of the funding—$30,336,800—will come from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund which Senator Collins fought to include in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

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.

The funding is being distributed to Maine through the ARRA, which Senator Collins, along with a bipartisan group of senators, worked to craft and became law in February.
Senator Collins released the following statement:

“Today is Earth Day—a particularly appropriate time to recognize that the health of our state’s pristine waters is vital concern. This stimulus funding will help create jobs and will provide a significant boost to Maine’s efforts to ensure the continued protection of our waters,” said Senator Collins.