OLYMPIA, WA, Jan. 22, 2009 -- The Washington Department of Ecology proposes that 33 local projects across the state take a share of $71.5 million in loans and grants for projects. The annual funding protects water quality across the state -- including Puget Sound -- and creates jobs.
"It's investments like these that will help Washington develop a 21st century economy," Gov. Chris Gregoire said. "These projects will help protect our environment, and at the same time create hundreds of much-needed new jobs."
Ecology's integrated grant/loan funding for water quality projects helps pay for wastewater treatment (sewer) plant upgrades; sewer collection system improvements; on-site septic system repairs and replacements; water reclamation and reuse facilities; water pollution cleanup planning and implementation; streamside restoration projects; stormwater management planning and implementation; public information and education; groundwater protection; and water quality data collection and monitoring.
Four loan-grant packages would assist financially distressed communities build wastewater treatment plants. Sharing approximately $42 million are projects in Airway Heights in Spokane County, Wilbur in Lincoln County, Uniontown in Whitman County, and Sequim in Clallam County.
This $42 million has potential to create more than 200 construction-related jobs across the four communities and create more than 300 additional retail and service-sector jobs across the state. The after-effect of this cash flow could create approximately 120 additional jobs statewide -- primarily in retail and other service-sector jobs.
Twenty-eight of the projects worth approximately $8 million in loans and grants are "non-point" pollution projects that target pollution from people and land uses. Within this, 11 projects worth approximately $5 million would benefit Puget Sound.
Ecology's annual funding assistance is based on outcomes of its ranking system of most-needed projects. Final decisions on funding will occur after the 2009 Legislative budget and appropriation process.
Ecology's integrated loan and grant program comes from a combination of dedicated state and federal sources and is contained in the Governor's proposed 2009-11 biennial budget. The proposed funding includes estimates of the Congressional federal budget because a portion of the grants and loans come from federal sources.
Ecology is taking public comments about the funding list until 5 p.m. Feb. 16. It will hold a public meeting and present an overview of these three funding programs and the process it used to select projects for funding at 10 a.m., Feb. 3, 2009, at the Pierce County Library Processing and Administrative Center, 3005 112th St. E. in Tacoma.
Send comments to:
Jeff Nejedly
Department of Ecology
Water Quality Program
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
You may also e-mail Nejedly at [email protected] or send a fax to 360-407-7151. If you have questions about the meeting or the funding proposals, call Nejedly at 360-407-6566.
>> Access a list of the proposed projects [.pdf]
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