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Spend more, spend smarter on clean water, groups urge Senate
by
Anonymous
(Washington, DC) - As the Senate prepares to take up the issue of lagging federal clean water spending, three conservation organizations urged Congress not just to spend more on water treatment plants, but also to increase its investment in efforts to reduce pollution by protecting natural areas along water bodies nationwide.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold hearings today and Thursday on the Water Investment Act of 2002, introduced last week by Senators Graham (D-FL), Crapo (R-ID), Jeffords (I-VT), and Smith (R-NH). This bill intends to dramatically increase federal Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act funding. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, federal spending in recent years has been less than 15% of the $23 billion needed annually to replace aging water treatment infrastructure.
"Thirty years of effort towards cleaner water has taught us that more and better treatment plants are only part of the solution," said Nancy Stoner, Director of the Clean Water Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "To continue to make progress towards to cleaner water, we need to reduce the amount of polluted runoff entering rivers and streams from cities, suburbs, and farms."
Under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, the federal government gives money to states for "State Revolving Funds," (SRFs) from which local governments can take out loans for wastewater and drinking water treatment projects. The conservation groups applauded the effort to increase investment in these SRFs, but urged the Senators to reform the SRFs to ensure that local governments will use more of this money to plant stream buffers, protect wetlands, acquire land, and implement other natural stormwater treatment strategies in addition to upgrading traditional treatment plants.
"The Water Investment Act is a good start, but the bill still needs some work," said Betsy Otto, Director of the Community Rivers program at American Rivers. "Congress should pass some reforms to the revolving loan funds to ensure that states lend the money for projects that maximize human health and environmental benefits."
The groups called for several key reforms to the SRF funding programs, including:
*Ensure that a larger percentage of Clean Water SRF funds are used for natural techniques to address non-point pollution.
Polluted runoff from streets, yards, and fields is largest source of water pollution in American today. Using SRF funds for stream buffers, wetlands protection, land conservation, and other habitat improvements along water bodies will do a better job of reducing this pollution than traditional "pipe and concrete" projects.
*Ensure that SRF funds are not used to subsidize new sprawl development.
SRF money should be used to repair and improve existing wastewater and drinking water systems, not subsidize the construction of new systems.
*Ensure that the money goes to the highest priority projects.
Senators should strengthen provisions that require states to increase public input as they develop priority lists for projects, and to ensure that SRF funds are used for those projects.
*Ensure that borrowers use the money well.
Senators should include language to ensure that SRF dollars are loaned to utilities that are making a good faith effort to meet their Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act obligations.
"This bill holds out the promise to fund the solution to many needed public health and environmental problems, said Paul Schwartz, Clean Water Actions' National Campaigns Director. "However, without better accountability and public participation processes, many critical drinking water needs will not be addressed, and many tax dollars will be wasted."
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This article courtesy of http://www.air-chiller.com.
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