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Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News

Proposal in House to Authorize $25 Billion
Over Five Years for Wastewater Projects

Legislation that would provide $25 billion over five years for the Clean Water Act state revolving fund was introduced in the House Jan. 7.

The bill (no bill number yet) is sponsored by Reps. Sue Kelly (R-N.Y.) and Ellen O. Tauscher (D-Calif.) and is similar to legislation (H.R. 3792) the two introduced in the 107th Congress, according to a Kelly aide.

The Clean Water Infrastructure Financing Act of 2003 also would provide grants to financially distressed communities to pay 25 percent of the cost of projects on states' priority lists that exceed $1.4 billion.

The state revolving fund has been funded in the past several fiscal years at about $1.35 billion annually through the Environmental Protection Agency's budget. EPA issued a report in the fall of 2002 showing the funding gap for wastewater infrastructure ranging between $270 billion to $442 billion over 20 years, depending on different factors (190 DEN A-1, 10/1/02 ).

The Kelly aide said the bill includes Davis-Bacon Act provisions, which require locally prevailing wages be paid on projects that receive federal funding.

Legislation (H.R. 3930) introduced by Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tenn.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, passed the full committee in March 2002. It was similar to the Kelly-Tauscher bill, including an amendment to incorporate the Davis-Bacon provisions. No further House action was taken (50 DEN A-3, 3/14/02 ).

The House Republican leadership was accused by Democrats of bottling up H.R. 3930 bill because of opposition to the Davis-Bacon provisions.

A spokesman for the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies said the bill shows the "continuing dedication" of some in Congress to water infrastructure, but suggested a long-term, dedicated funding source ultimately is needed.