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Curt Spalding Sworn in as Regional Administrator on One-Year Anniversary of the Recovery Act

Release Date: 02/18/2010
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, 617-918-1027

(Providence, R.I., Feb. 18, 2010) – Yesterday, on the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, EPA formally welcomed Rhode Islander Curt Spalding as the Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA’s New England regional office in a ceremonial swearing in event in Providence.

In New England, the Recovery Act is providing major investments designed to create and keep good jobs – while investing in the long-term environmental sustainability of communities.

In Rhode Island, EPA is overseeing an investment of over $50 million that, in addition to helping keep people employed, is helping upgrade water treatment facilities, cleaning contaminated land and providing cleaner air through projects to reduce diesel emissions.

Under the Recovery Act, across the country EPA was charged with over $7 billion in projects and programs for a cleaner environment. That translates to approximately $700 million to jump start important environmental projects across the six New England states.

“In real environmental terms, the Recovery Act is funding hundreds of significant projects that will help clean New England's environment, and provide better environmental and public health protection to New England citizens,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “The Recovery Act is helping to create green jobs in Rhode Island. These jobs are helping to clean up contaminated land, upgrade facilities to provide clean drinking water and install equipment to improve air quality.”

Across New England, EPA is making a huge investment in upgrading infrastructure to ensure clean drinking water and to safely process wastewater. These investments will pay dividends for decades to come, priming the pump for communities to be welcome destinations for new businesses and a vibrant tourist economy. In Rhode Island, the biggest investment under the Recovery Act is $26.3 million to upgrade water treatment plants.

In New England states, recipients of EPA funding reported 730 jobs created through the end of December 2009. EPA expects that number to rise significantly as soon as the spring construction season arrives.

Not only is EPA working hard to get Recovery Act money out into Rhode Island communities. EPA is also are working hard to ensure that these grants and contracts are fully documented in the most intense and transparent tracking ever seen – to ensure that all citizens can understand where all the money went, how it got spent, how many jobs were created or saved from loss.

From green jobs to environmentally-conscious urban and rural re-development, to breathable air and clean water, to better protected watersheds, the Recovery Act is beginning to realize tangible evidence of good results across New England. The environmental benefits of this work will pay major dividends – a clean and healthy environment for our communities to grow and prosper in the years to come.


More information:

- www.Recovery.gov

- www.epa.gov/region1/eparecovery

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