Clean Water Advocacy - News Releases - May 4, 2006
For Immediate Release: May 4, 2006
Contact: Adam Krantz, 202/833.4651
House Proposes Dramatic Cut to Key Clean Water Program
NACWA Seeks Support for Clean Water Trust Act of 2005, H.R. 4560
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related
Agencies today released its budget proposal for the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) for fiscal year (FY) 2007, which bolstered the
Administration’s request to cut funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan
Fund program (from $887 million to $688 million). This puts the CWSRF at $200
million below FY 2006 levels and 50 percent below its high mark of $1.35 billion
in FY 2004. The CWSRF, a loan program that helps local communities repair and
replace aging treatment plants, has been the primary source of federal support
for clean water infrastructure projects since its creation in 1987.
These cuts remain untenable given studies by EPA, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Water Infrastructure Network (WIN), estimating a water infrastructure funding gap exceeding $300 billion over the next 20 years. Given this mounting funding gap, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) believes it is untenable for the federal government to cut support for clean water in America. While NACWA believes that improved utility management and rate increases at the local level are critical to addressing this daunting funding gap, the Association is also calling on Congress and the White House to support the recently introduced Clean Water Trust Act of 2005, H.R. 4560. H.R. 4560 is landmark legislation that would create a deficit-neutral, clean water trust fund to guarantee clean and safe water in America for the long-term.
H.R. 4560, which was introduced by Chairman John Duncan, Jr., of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment, would provide approximately $7.5 billion a year from 2006 – 2010 in loans and grants to cities, counties, towns and townships to address the backlog of critical clean water projects, meet unfunded mandates, and improve utility management based on state-determined priorities. The Clean Water Trust Act of 2005 also will enhance fisheries, encourage research, spur new technologies, and protect critical regional waters such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. Chairman Duncan has also sent a Dear Colleague letter seeking co-sponsors for this legislation this week.
Responding to the House Subcommittee and the Administration’s actions, Ken Kirk, NACWA’s Executive Director, stated that “this proposed budget cut to the CWSRF is the wrong measure at the wrong time. Without a long-term, sustainable federal-state-local partnership communities will not be able to tackle essential capital replacement projects needed to meet federal Clean Water Act mandates and improve the quality of the nation’s waters. H.R. 4560, on the other hand, would ensure funding for the CWSRF and guarantee a meaningful federal re-commitment to achieving the lofty goals of the 1972 Clean Water Act.”
Facing similar shortfalls in funding for critical national infrastructure, Congress has established trust funds supported by dedicated revenue sources. Congressionally established trust funds for highway infrastructure ($30 billion/year) and airport infrastructure ($8 billion/year) provide a strong precedent for moving forward with a similar trust fund for clean and safe water. NACWA, together with a broad array of stakeholder groups, will work aggressively with Congress and the Administration – to ensure full funding for the CWSRF and to establish a trust fund dedicated to clean and safe water in America.
NACWA is a national trade association representing hundreds of the nation's publicly owned wastewater treatment utilities. NACWA members serve the majority of the sewered population in the United States and collectively treat and reclaim over 18 billion gallons of wastewater every day. NACWA members are environmental practitioners dedicated to protecting and improving the nation's waters and public health.
1816 Jefferson Place, Washington, DC 20036-2505 • 202.833.2672 • 202.833.4657 FAX • www.nacwa.org