CWC Pushes for Senate Water Infrastructure Legislation
Arlington, VA - September 20, 2007 The Clean Water Council (CWC) -- a construction industry coalition of 30 national organizations representing contractors, design professionals, manufacturers and suppliers, labor representatives and other organizations dedicated to water infrastructure funding -- is pleased that the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality plans to introduce legislation to reauthorize the EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), the main financing program for projects to refurbish America's dilapidated wastewater infrastructure. The CWC strongly supports the Clean Water SRF program and will work to advance the bill as the legislative process moves forward.
"Without question, substantial and consistent federal investment in wastewater infrastructure is essential to the nation's economic and public health," said Bill Hillman, CEO of the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), which serves as chair of the CWC. "The 31 member organizations of the CWC welcome bipartisan Senate action to reauthorize the Clean Water SRF, and we will lobby persistently for passage."
The needs facing America's environmental infrastructure are clear. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2002 Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Gap Analysis indicated that water and wastewater infrastructure needs would exceed more than $534 billion by the year 2019 if funding was not increased. Additionally, the EPA's Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2000 Report to Congress found that documented wastewater needs by themselves exceed $181 billion.
The House passed legislation (HR 720) in March that would authorize $14 billion for the Clean Water SRF over four years. Although the Bush Administration quickly threatened to veto the bill, Hillman maintains House passage so early in the first session of the 110th Congress was a big accomplishment. "Our strategy is to get a Senate bill passed and reconciled with the House version, and then see how the folks at the White House play their cards."
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