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GRANITEVILLE RECEIVES EPA FUNDING

Release Date: 02/18/1998
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, (617) 918-4154

BOSTON -- Under a new process in which the federal government provides grants to states, Vermont recently became the first state in New England to administer a loan to a municipality for drinking water improvements using its state revolving fund grant.

Two months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $12.5 million grant to Vermont for the state's drinking water programs, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation approved the Graniteville Fire District's loan request for $110,000 to improve its municipal water supply facilities.

The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 authorized the creation of a state revolving fund program to assist public water systems with financing the costs of infrastructure needed to achieve or maintain compliance with federal drinking water requirements. The amendments authorized the EPA to award capitalization grants to states, which in turn can provide low-cost loans and other types of financial assistance to eligible systems.

"Thanks to a new process and some decisive action on the part of a few go-getters, the 700 residents living in and around Graniteville can look forward to a cleaner, safer drinking water supply in the near future," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England office. "The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation deserves credit not only for being the first in New England to receive its entire capitalization grant, but also for making the first drinking water loan in New England."

The fire district will use its loan to finance the final design of water supply improvements, consisting of a new water filtration plant, a 250,000 gallon storage tank, a new booster pump station, as well as other water transmission and distribution related work. The construction costs of these improvements - which will be in excess of $1 million - are expected to be funded through a subsequent loan.

Prior to the current revolving fund program, the EPA had no means to provide federal funding to assist municipalities in addressing drinking water construction needs.