San Antonio, Texas, March 21, 2002 -- The North American Development Bank (NADB), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will provide $24 million in grant assistance for environmental infrastructure projects in Fabens and Eagle Pass, Texas. This assistance is made available through the Bank's EPA-funded Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF).
"We have worked with these border communities to find the best financing options to address their environmental infrastructure needs. The BEIF funds are key to making these projects viable while providing incentives that will help make their systems more self-sufficient," commented Jorge C. Garces, NADB Deputy Managing Director.
Fabens, Texas: BEIF assistance totaling $6.10 million will be used to finance improvements to the water and wastewater systems for El Paso County Water and Control Improvement District #4 in Fabens, Texas. The $9.1 million project will also receive a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD). To cover the remaining project costs, the District plans to issue municipal bonds.
The project involves expansion of the wastewater treatment plant, installation of a wellhead water treatment system, and rehabilitation of the water distribution and sewer collection systems. More than 7,000 local residents will benefit from the project, which will greatly improve water quality by removing contaminants that cause foul odors and discoloration, making the water unpleasant to use.
In addition, wastewater system upgrades will help prevent recent raw sewage discharges. Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas: The City will receive $17.99 million in BEIF assistance in support of its Water and Wastewater Regional System Improvements Project, which entails expansion of the existing wastewater treatment plant, rehabilitation of the water distribution and sewer systems, and construction of a new wastewater treatment facility.
Water improvements include expanding the water treatment plant from 10 to 19 million gallons per day (MGD), as well as constructing a series of distribution lines and storage tanks that will meet demand through 2020. Improvements in the existing wastewater facilities will extend wastewater collection and treatment services to part of the new areas incorporated into the regional system, while the rest of these areas will be served by a new 2 MGD treatment plant.
This $105 million regional project encompasses the city of Eagle Pass, the El Indio Water Supply Corporation (EIWSC), the Kickapoo Nation and existing colonias surrounding Eagle Pass, in Maverick County, Texas. In addition to the BEIF funding, the City will receive a grant and loan from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).
Both projects were certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) during its XXXI Public Meeting held in Austin Wednesday.
