ENVIRO-NEWS

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recovery Act Water System Improvement Projects to Improve Health and Sanitation in Communities in 12 States

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Makuch, Joseph" <Joseph.Makuch@ars.usda.gov>
Date: Apr 19, 2010 11:37 AM
Subject: [ENVIRO-NEWS] Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recovery Act Water System Improvement Projects to Improve Health and Sanitation in Communities in 12 States
To: <Enviro-News@nal.usda.gov>

USDA
Release No. 0182.10

Contact: Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recovery Act Water System
Improvement Projects to Improve Health and Sanitation in Communities in
12 States

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today
announced the funding of 18 projects designed to protect public health
by improving water quality and public sanitation services in 12 states.
The projects, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
are expected to provide construction jobs and create infrastructure
needed to support community growth.

"Through these Recovery Act projects announced today, we are helping to
achieve the Obama Administration's economic recovery goals to rebuild
and revitalize the nation's infrastructure." Vilsack said. "These
investments in water and wastewater infrastructure will deliver safe
drinking water and protect the quality of our environment."

For example, in rural Connecticut, the Town of Woodstock has been
selected to receive a $786,000 loan and a $614,000 grant to provide
wastewater system improvements for the Woodstock Academy. The Academy
serves as the public high school for residents of Woodstock, Eastford,
Brooklyn, Pomfret, Canterbury, and Union, Connecticut. Other communities
from Connecticut and neighboring states enroll their students as well.
As the population and student enrollment increases, additional capacity
for sanitary disposal will be needed. The existing on-site wastewater
system was designed for a maximum flow of 6,000 gallons per day and the
current flow has reached 5,800 gallons per day. This project will
connect the Woodstock Academy wastewater system to the Town of Woodstock
wastewater system, accommodating the growing needs of the system.

Also, in rural Wisconsin, the Village of Cochrane has been selected to
receive a $1 million loan to provide wastewater system improvements. The
existing system consists of a two-cell stabilization pond system with
effluent disposal in two seepage cells. Together with $100,000 of
borrower contribution, this project will address issues related to
stabilization pond leakage, improvement of the fill and draw operation
of the stabilization pond, sludge accumulation in the stabilization
pond, and encroachment of nearby residential development. The proposed
project will include lining existing stabilization ponds and increasing
the ponds' depth to six feet.

The loan and grant funding announced today totals $48.6 million and will
leverage an additional $13.4 million of recipient contributions to
complete water and wastewater system projects. To date, USDA has
announced $2.46 billion in Recovery Act funds for water and
environmental projects. The Recovery Act was signed into law by
President Obama one year ago.

The ARRA funding announced today is being administered by USDA Rural
Development's Water and Environmental Program which provides loans and
grants to ensure that the necessary investments are made in water and
wastewater infrastructure to deliver safe drinking water and protect the
environment in rural areas.

Funding of individual recipients is contingent upon their meeting the
terms of the loan or grant agreement. Below is a complete list of award
recipients, by state:

Alaska
*       Gulkana Village Council: $1,200,000 grant. The funding will
provide wastewater system improvements.

California
*       City of Ferndale: $5,000,000 loan and $3,738,000 grant. The
funding will provide wastewater system improvements.

Connecticut
*       Town of Woodstock: $786,000 loan and $614,000 grant. The funding
will provide wastewater system improvements.

Delaware
*       Sussex County Council: $5,582,000 loan and $2,999,847 grant. The
funding will provide wastewater system improvements.

Maine
* City of Brewer: $800,000 loan and $620,000 grant. The funding will
provide wastewater system improvements.

Missouri
* City of Bismarck: $2,500,000 loan and $3,564,790 grant. The funding
will provide wastewater system improvements.

* City of Bucklin: $151,000 loan and $346,200 grant. The funding will
provide water system improvements.

* Chariton-Linn Park Water and Sanitation District (PWSD) #3: $351,000
loan and $335,000 grant. The funding will provide water system
improvements.

* Village of Dadeville: $420,000 loan. The funding will provide water
system improvements.

* City of Diamond: $650,000 loan. The funding will provide wastewater
system improvements.

* Washington County Park PWSD #1: $538,000 loan and $1,209,990 grant.
The funding will provide wastewater system improvements.

North Carolina
* Town of Cofield: $543,000 loan and $462,000 grant. The funding will
provide water system improvements.

* Edgecombe Water & Sewer District #4: $3,615,000 loan and $2,509,400
grant. The funding will provide water system improvements.

Ohio
* Portage County: $577,000 loan and $1,505,000 grant. The funding will
provide wastewater system improvements.

South Carolina
* St. John's Water Company, Inc.: $4,604,000 loan. The funding will
provide water system improvements.

Tennessee
* South Blount Utility District: $769,000 loan. The funding will provide
water system improvements.

West Virginia
* Mingo County PSD Marrowbone Creek: $763,000 loan and $900,000 grant.
The funding will provide water system improvements.

Wisconsin
* Village of Cochrane: $1,000,000 loan. The funding will provide
wastewater system improvements.

President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 into law on Feb. 17, 2009. It is designed to jumpstart the nation's
economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on
addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the
21st century. The Act includes measures to modernize our nation's
infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational
opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax
relief, and protect those in greatest need.

More information about USDA's Recovery Act efforts is available at
www.usda.gov/recovery. More information about the Federal government's
efforts on the Recovery Act is available at www.recovery.gov .

#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call
(800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

#

[USDA news releases are available in the "Newsroom" section at
http://www.usda.gov/ .]


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