Friday, February 20, 2009

EPA Tracks Its Stimulus Package on New Website

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a website to report how they will spend their share ($7.2 billion) of the economic stimulus money. Approximately $6 billion will go as loans to states to upgrade waste and drinking-water infrastructures. The current EPA budget is approximately $7 billion.

Under the title, "Plans and Reports," the site currently states:

"In the future, this page will contain links to our Agency Recovery Plans, Recovery Program Plans, and other agency- and program-specific reports required by the Recovery Act."

EPA appropriations section of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009:
ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL. For an additional amount for ‘‘Office of InspectorGeneral’’, $20,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2012.HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE SUPERFUND For an additional amount for ‘‘HazardousSubstance Superfund’’, $600,000,000, which shallbe for the Superfund Remedial program: Provided, That the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) may retain up to 3 percent of the funds appropriated herein for management and oversight purposes. LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK TRUSTFUND PROGRAM For an additional amount for ‘‘Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program’’,$200,000,000, which shall be for cleanup activities authorized by section 9003(h) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act: Provided, That none of these funds shall be subject to cost share requirements under section 9003(h)(7)(B) of such Act: Provided further, That the Administrator may retain up to 1.5 percent of the funds appropriated herein for management and oversight purposes. STATE AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS) For an additional amount for ‘‘State and Tribal Assistance Grants’’, $6,400,000,000, which shall be allocated as follows: (1) $4,000,000,000 shall be for capitalization grants for the Clean Water State Revolving Funds under title VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and $2,000,000,000 shall be for capitalization grants under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Provided, That the Administrator may retain up to 1 percent of the funds appropriated herein for management and oversight purposes: Provided further, That funds appropriated herein shall not be subjectto the matching or cost share requirements ofsections 602(b)(2), 602(b)(3) or 202 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act nor the matching requirements of section 1452(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Provided further, That the Administrator shall reallocate funds appropriated herein for the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (Revolving Funds) where projects are not under contract or constructionwithin 12 months of the date of enactmentof this Act: Provided further, That notwithstandingthe priority rankings they would otherwise receive under each program, priorityfor funds appropriated herein shall be given toprojects on a State priority list that are ready to proceed to construction within 12 months of the date of enactment of this Act: Provided further, That notwithstanding the requirements of section603(d) of the Federal Water Pollution ControlAct or section 1452(f) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, for the funds appropriated herein, each State shall use not less than 50 percent of the amount of its capitalization grants to provideadditional subsidization to eligible recipientsin the form of forgiveness of principal, negative interest loans or grants or any combination of these: Provided further, That, to the extentthere are sufficient eligible project applications,not less than 20 percent of the funds appropriated herein for the Revolving Funds shallbe for projects to address green infrastructure,water or energy efficiency improvements orother environmentally innovative activities: Provided further, That notwithstanding the limitationon amounts specified in section 518(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, up to 1.5percent of the funds appropriated herein for theClean Water State Revolving Funds may be reserved by the Administrator for tribal grants under section 518(c) of such Act: Provided further,That up to 4 percent of the funds appropriated herein for tribal set-asides under the RevolvingFunds may be transferred to the Indian Health Service to support management and oversight of tribal projects: Provided further,That none of the funds appropriated hereinshall be available for the purchase of land or easements as authorized by section 603(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or for activitiesauthorized by section 1452(k) of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Provided further, That notwithstanding section 603(d)(2) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and section1452(f)(2) of the Safe Drinking Water Act, fundsmay be used to buy, refinance or restructure the debt obligations of eligible recipients only wheresuch debt was incurred on or after October 1,2008;(2) $100,000,000 shall be to carry out Brownfields projects authorized by section104(k) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980:Provided, That the Administrator may reserveup to 3.5 percent of the funds appropriated herein for management and oversight purposes:Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated herein shall be subject to cost share requirements under section 104(k)(9)(B)(iii) of such Act; and(3) $300,000,000 shall be for Diesel EmissionReduction Act grants pursuant to title VII, subtitle G of the Energy Policy Act of 2005: Provided, That the Administrator may reserve up to2 percent of the funds appropriated herein for management and oversight purposes: Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated herein for Diesel Emission Reduction Act grants shall be subject to the State Grant and Loan Program Matching Incentive provisions of section793(c)(3) of such Act. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS) Funds made available to the EnvironmentalProtection Agency by this Act for managementand oversight purposes shall remain availableuntil September 30, 2011, and may be transferred to the ‘‘Environmental Programs and Management’’account as needed.

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